Description
Over 50 agencies in the Dutch advertising, marketing, communications, design and public relations sectors are pledging to stop fossil advertising and calling on others to join them. They launched their pledge in May 2023.
A rapidly growing group of creative agencies launched a treaty pledging to stop promoting fossil industries and fossil passenger transport. The Treaty 'Responsible Seduction: Fossil? No Deal!' which was initiated by 21 agencies, has already been signed by over 50 agencies. With the treaty, the creative industry - in anticipation of a law banning fossil advertising - wants to take responsibility itself. Agencies can sign up or find further info at www.fossielnodeal.nl.
Taking responsibility yourself
The IPCC report on alarming climate change calls out to everyone: we must act now to stay below 1.5 degrees of warming in the long term. The communication world must also take responsibility and stop promoting fossil products, according to a recent TNO report, among others. These creative agencies argue we should not wait for political decision-making. The creative industry should take responsibility itself and stop promoting the fossil industry and fossil passenger transport and greenwashing.
An invitation
The initiative invites all advertising, PR, media, design, and other communication agencies in the Netherlands to also sign and use their expertise in influencing behaviour only for products and services that have positive impact. At least not for products and services that are demonstrably harmful or misleading. "Delaying or waiting makes no sense. There are always snags, nuances and complications in not signing on. But if we never start anywhere, nothing will change. So with this pledge, let us use our creative talent and tomorrow's talent for all the things that make the world more beautiful and liveable," the initiators said.
Which promotion is excluded?
Signatories to the 'Fossil? No Deal!' Treaty no longer promote fossil passenger transport and the fossil industry. That means, for instance, they do promote Thalys to Paris, electric mobility and shared transport, but no communication about a 60-euro flight to Barcelona or a free cup of coffee with a full tank. By 'fossil passenger transport', the convention means cars (excluding shared cars), air travel, buses, boats and cruise ships powered by fossil fuel. 'Fossil industry' includes companies whose primary activity is to extract, transport, sell, supply or promote oil, gas, lignite and coal. For energy suppliers, the convention applies a rating of 9 or higher in the green energy rankings of The Consumers' Association, Nature & Environment and WISE.