The Hague, Netherlands’ third-largest metropolis, has handed an area ordinance banning fossil gas commercials and advertisements for different highly-polluting providers within the metropolis, changing into the primary metropolis on the planet to take action.
The ban encompasses not simply fossil gas promoting, but in addition for highly-polluting providers like airline and cruise holidays, fossil fuel suppliers and, better of all, gasoline-powered autos (however actually, who would ever need to waste cash on an inferior fuel car anyway, proper Electrek readers?).
It should apply primarily to out of doors promoting within the type of billboards, shows in out of doors strolling areas, advertisements on and inside transit, and so forth.
The Hague had beforehand introduced its intent to be local weather impartial by 2030, so town finds this to be a obligatory step in the direction of that purpose. “The Hague needs to be local weather impartial by 2030. Then it’s inappropriate to permit promoting for merchandise from the fossil business. Thankfully, town council now acknowledges this,” stated Leonie Gerritsen of the Social gathering for the Animals.
The fossil advert ban was first proposed by the Social gathering for the Animals. It builds on a earlier movement to ban fossil advertisements from bus shelters, which had gained broad assist from the representatives of the Greens, Labor, Socialists, centrist minority-rights get together DENK, progressive pro-Europe get together Democrats 66, and the center-right Christian Union.
The Netherlands, notably in its cities, has one of many extra superior transportation programs on the planet. Bicycles are closely used inside Dutch cities, and bike infrastructure is ubiquitous. This leads to excessive security as cyclists are correctly protected on the street, excessive throughput from bicycles that take up so much much less area than vehicles, and low transportation emissions by using probably the most environment friendly transportation methodology man has ever devised.
The nation can be among the many greatest in electrical automotive penetration, with just below half of recent autos being electrical – lagging solely behind (the entire) Nordic international locations in electrification of its vehicles.
Nevertheless, as a nation, Netherlands lags behind standout international locations when it comes to per capita emissions. Regardless of heavy use of bicycles and EVs, every Dutch particular person emits about 50% extra CO2 than the residents of close by France, UK or Denmark, or twice as a lot as close by Sweden. (Although all of those international locations have decrease emissions than the US, the world’s largest all-time emitter, and even higher than the cleanest US states like California and New York)
That is primarily attributable to Netherlands’ power system, the place fossil fuel coal nonetheless make up a big a part of the nation’s grid, versus the heavy use of nuclear in France, wind in UK and Denmark, and hydro in Sweden. Netherlands additionally makes use of fossil fuel for dwelling heating, and is without doubt one of the most gas-reliant international locations in Europe with over 90% of houses utilizing it for heating. This has additionally affected their power safety throughout the continent-wide fuel disaster that got here with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Fossil promoting bans might assist to bend the needle on each of these points – whereas shoppers don’t all the time have direct buying energy over electrical energy era or dwelling heating selections, decreasing the quantity of propaganda from fossil firms means extra would possibly make the selection to put in dwelling photo voltaic (you possibly can too, with our affiliate hyperlink) or to exchange their fossil fuel heating system with a extra environment friendly warmth pump.
Another cities have “banned” fossil gas advertisements, equivalent to Amsterdam, Edinburgh and Sydney. Nevertheless, these bans are totally different than The Hague’s, as a result of they are going to be executed by contract amendments with promoting firms, relatively than by an area legislation.
That methodology might be simpler to realize at first, however can take longer to enter impact as town wants to attend for rolling contracts to be renewed or to purchase out current contracts. The Hague’s methodology will go into impact instantly in simply over three months, on January 1, 2025.
Electrek’s Take
Fossil gas firms have spent greater than a century propagandizing to the general public about their advantages, and so they wouldn’t do it if it didn’t work.
Whereas oil firm advertisements greenwashing their contributions to renewable energy could appear innocent, there’s a cause they run these advertisements, and it’s not as a result of they genuinely need to enhance the world. It’s as a result of they need you to assume they’re higher than the opposite evil oil firms, and to proceed giving cash to assist their environmental terrorism.
And advert bans like this do work. Tobacco – one other horribly dangerous product pushed by an evil business – has been topic to advert bans, and people advert bans have helped to scale back smoking charges… so long as the bans are complete. Sadly, The Hague can solely ban advertisements in its personal purview, and doesn’t have management over the airwaves or the web. That might take a nationwide or supranational settlement, in order that may be the subsequent step wanted to make sure that a ban like that is efficient.
Regardless, it’s about time that we cease oil firms from partaking within the decades-long marketing campaign of lies that they’ve engaged in. Good on the Hague for being the primary to do it, hopefully they could be a mannequin for a lot of different cities, international locations, and the world.
(By the way, The Hague can be the seat of the Worldwide Felony Courtroom… however sadly this ban was handed by the native metropolis authorities, relatively than being enforceable with felony prosecutions worldwide on oil executives who’ve lied for many years whereas doing untold injury to humanity, animals and the local weather normally. Perhaps subsequent time (one can hope…))
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