The Green Party has voted to ban ‘High Carbon Advertising’ following a motion put forward by the city’s constituency MP, Caroline Lucas at the party’s conference in Brighton.
While the motion has not yet fully outlined just what sectors will be categorised as ‘high carbon advertisers’, it has stated the immediate ban would include adverts promoting goods, products and services that are carbon intensive.
The new decision on the adverts, which saw Lucas declaring them as “incompatible with a sustainable society or liveable future”, would see similar controls implemented as ‘harmful products’ like junk food (HFSS) and tobacco.
In addition, if successful, the UK would not be the first country to introduce such measures; in 2021, Amsterdam became the first city in the world world to ban ads from fossil fuel and aviation companies.
The following year, France became the first country in the world to ban fossil fuel ads – a scaled back measure from the initial proposal to outlaw any form of advertising by oil firms.
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“Carbon intensive companies are polluting the planet, and greenwashing their climate-wrecking activity through glitzy advertising campaigns which portray them as paragons of sustainability,” said Green Party’s Lucas.
“I’m delighted the Green Party has backed this motion to immediately ban high-carbon advertising and help end the scourge of greenwashing on our society. It’s time for adverts to reflect the best of society, rather than the worst.”
Sian Berry, who is campaigning to become the next Green Party MP for Brighton Pavilion when Caroline Lucas stands down at the next election, added:
“We need to end the sprawl of adverts seeking to persuade us to buy products and services which wreck our climate, damage our environment and worsen our health.
“We need instead to make space for adverts for products and services which will support our local economies and help create a fairer and greener world – adverts for things such as active travel, healthier foods and sustainable fashion.
“Controls on advertising are common. Transport for London restricts advertising for a range of products including junk food, and is now close to banning gambling promotion, while France and Amsterdam are also working on high carbon adverts.”
