The Netherlands has banned advertising of meat products and goods related to fossil fuels

Amsterdam has become the first capital city in the world to ban public advertising for both meat products and fossil fuel-related products. From May 1, advertisements for burgers, petrol cars and flights were removed from billboards, tram stops and metro stations.

The BBC writes about this.

City officials say the move is aimed at bringing Amsterdamʼs streets into line with the cityʼs environmental goals, which include making the Dutch capital carbon neutral by 2050 and halving its meat consumption over the same period.

The initiator of the ban is Anke Bakker, the head of the Amsterdam branch of the Dutch animal rights political party, the Animal Party. She rejects accusations that it is “excessive state protection”.

“Everyone can decide for themselves, but what we’re really trying to do is make sure that big companies aren’t constantly telling us what we need to eat and buy. In a way, we’re giving people more freedom. After all, they can make their own choices, right?” says Bakker.

According to her, removing constant visual pressure will reduce impulse purchases and at the same time signal that cheap meat and travel with a large carbon footprint are no longer an "attractive" lifestyle.

Meat accounted for a relatively small share of Amsterdamʼs outdoor advertising market, accounting for around 0.1% of advertising spend, compared to around 4% for fossil fuel-related products. Instead, advertising was largely driven by clothing brands, film posters and mobile phones.

However, as the BBC points out, politically the ban matters. The association of meat with flights, cruises and petrol and diesel cars is changing perceptions: it is now not just a personal dietary choice, but a climate issue.

The Dutch Meat Association is unhappy with the decision, calling it an "unwanted way of influencing consumer behavior". It adds that meat "provides essential nutrients and should remain visible and accessible to consumers".

And the Dutch Association of Travel Agencies and Tour Operators states that the ban on advertising holidays that include air travel is a disproportionate restriction on the commercial freedom of companies.

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