The Hague has decided to ban advertising related to fossil fuels

The ban voted by the city council will affect advertising for fuel, cars, cruises and air travel on billboards and bus shelters.

The Hague will become the first city in the world to introduce local legislation to ban advertising related to fossil fuels.The motion voted in the city council at the end of last week on a proposal from the Party for the Animals (PvdD), represents a unique example of great importance as it regulates all advertising and the spaces used for it in the city with a single act.“An important signal”, said Leonie Gerritsen, councilor of the PvdD, and a step forward for the plans of the city overlooking the North Sea, the main administrative center of the Netherlands and the heart of international justice.In fact, The Hague aims to anticipate reduction objectives of the Netherlands, aiming to become carbon neutral by 2030, 20 years ahead of the national target of 2050.

What does the motion banning “fossil” advertising contain?

The motion will affect all public spaces, such as billboards, advertising screens and bus shelters.The prohibited advertisements will not only be those relating to oil companies that produce, for example, petrol and diesel, but also to car manufacturers, airlines and cruise travel.Legislation should come into force from 1 January 2025:this means that the city has four months to "clean" its spaces of advertising.The most important innovation introduced by the PvdD initiative concerns the legislative context.Until now, many cities have tried to contain the advertising in question through individual contracts or voluntary agreements.A system that proved useful but equally slow and cumbersome.Until now, therefore, what was missing was a measure capable of putting the ban into a system and extending it on a local scale.

The Hague is not the only one

Two other Dutch municipalities, Zwolle and Tilburg, have already made it known that they will follow the example of The Hague, imposing bans through local legislation.However, The Hague is not the first city to crack down on "dirty" advertising.In recent years cities like Edinburgh and Amsterdam have attempted to harmonize city advertising regulations with environmental policies.The Scottish capital he banned promoting high-carbon products on billboards and bus stops.On that occasion, goods such as sports cars and cruise holidays were described as "incompatible with climate neutrality objectives".In Australia, however, some municipalities including the city of Sydney have voted for a series of restrictions on fossil fuel advertising and sponsorships.