Amsterdam bans public advertising of meat and fossil fuels

Amsterdam has become the first capital city in the world to introduce a ban on outdoor advertising of meat and fossil fuel-related products. Since May 1, advertisements for burgers, cars and air travel have disappeared from billboards, stops and metro stations, writes the BBC. For example, at one of the busy tram stops, surrounded by blooming tulips and daffodils, advertising posters have noticeably changed: instead of fast food and tourist offers, they are now promoting cultural events and museums.

City authorities explain this decision by the desire to bring the urban environment in line with climate policy. Amsterdam plans to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 while cutting its meat consumption in half. The Green Left party stresses that it is illogical to simultaneously fight the climate crisis and make money from advertising that encourages the opposite behavior. In their opinion, the use of public space should not conflict with environmental goals.

Although meat advertising had a small share – about 0.1% of the outdoor advertising market, and fossil fuel advertising about 4% – the ban itself is symbolic. It puts meat consumption on a par with climate-impacting activities such as air travel and the use of combustion engines. The meat industry criticized the decision, saying it limits consumer freedom of choice and ignores the nutritional value of meat products. The tourism industry has also expressed dissatisfaction, calling the ban an excessive interference in commercial activities.

Environmental activists, on the other hand, see it as an important step, comparing the situation to the past, when tobacco advertising was the norm. According to them, public space shapes ideas about what is considered acceptable, and eliminating such advertising may change social norms over time. Amsterdam is not the first in this direction: Haarlem, Utrecht and Nijmegen have previously taken similar measures, and a number of cities around the world have already limited advertising of fossil fuels.

However, the effectiveness of such measures remains questionable. Online advertising continues to influence consumers heavily, and there is no convincing evidence that the disappearance of outdoor meat advertising is leading to changes in eating habits. Some scientists, however, see this as an interesting experiment. According to them, advertising plays an important role in shaping norms of behavior, and its reduction can gradually affect public attitudes and people’s choices.