More than 60 advertising and media agencies have called on the UK Government to introduce “tobacco-style” restrictions on fossil fuel advertisements and sponsorships ahead of a Parliamentary debate on the topic. In an open letter coordinated by Purpose Disruptors, Clean Creatives and Creatives for Climate, more than 60 creative industry companies, each with over 1,000 employees, urged the Government to treat fossil fuel ads like tobacco marketing, citing parallels in tactics used and public harm, and asserting that voluntary action is no longer enough.
The debate, that is set for Monday 7 July in Westminster Hall, follows a petition led by broadcaster, Chris Packham, that secured over 110,000 signatures. The Hague in the Netherlands was the first city in the world to enact a law prohibiting advertisements for fossil fuel products and services, setting an example for other governments to follow. Some UK cities, such as Glasgow, have already banned fossil fuel advertising.
Almost half of people surveyed in a study across the European Union and published in Nature Climate Change said they are in favour of banning fossil fuel advertising — nearly twice as many who said they oppose it. In January this year.
Currently, fossil fuel marketing is largely unregulated in the UK. Calls for stronger regulation have risen in recent years due to the nation’s binding climate targets and commitments to improve public health.
A recent study by Tobacco Control indicated that tobacco advertising and promotion bans are linked to a 37% reduced risk of people starting to smoke and a 20% lower likelihood of current smokers continuing to smoke in areas with such bans.
