Model motion for municipalities to ban fossil ads in public space

Below you will find a model motion for local councillors to ban fossil ads from their public sphere. The draft motion entails ads for fossil fuel and airline industries and advertising promoting air travel, cruise travel and cars.

Important things to know and consider:

1. Contracts with advertising operators are often long running contracts and they are not willing to voluntarily ban fossil ads. The fastest and most affordable way to ban fossil ads is with a change in the local ordinance (see the model proposal).
2. Freedom of expression is not a valid argument for opponents of a fossil ad ban. The harm to health done by industries, products and services to climate and ecology outweighs commercial interests to advertise. This is proven in many countries that ban advertising for tobacco products, medicines on prescription and gambling.

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Model motion to call for fossil ad ban in cities

The municipal council of [name of municipality], meeting on [date]

Notes that:

• [Name of municipality] has clear ambitions to comply with the climate goals in the Paris Agreement;
• [IF APPLICABLE TO YOUR MUNICIPALITY] has endorsed the Fossil Fuel Non Proliferation Treaty;
• In the public spaces of [name of municipality] advertisements are displayed from industries and products and services that promote and normalize the use of fossil fuels, such as advertisements from the fossil fuel and airline industries, advertisements for air travel, cruise travel and advertisements for SUVs.
• Various municipalities in the Netherlands, Australia and the UK - including Amsterdam, Sydney and Liverpool - are already taking steps to ban fossil advertising from public places;

Whereas:

• [IF APPLICABLE TO YOUR COUNTRY] In the meantime, it has become completely normal in our country that, because of the major public health impact, advertising for tobacco products and all advertising and sponsorships by the tobacco industry is no longer allowed;
• It has been established beyond doubt by researchers and scientists that the fossil fuel industry has financed climate denial for decades, has misled the public and politicians through their advertisements and continues to do so;
• According to climate scientists from the renowned Potsdam Institute, banning fossil advertisements is a measure that contributes to a social tipping point for climate action, which can accelerate the transition to a world that keeps global warming well below 1,5C;
• The IPCC suggests regulating advertisements is a measure to tap in the emission reduction potential of 40-70% by mass behavioral change;
• It has been clear that, in order to keep global warming well below 1.5C, we need to phase out fossil fuels as soon as possible;
• Given the goal of advertising to grow a company's core business or product, a fossil ad ban is needed to stop the growth of the fossil fuel and air line industries and to limit the sales of cars, air travel and car travel.

Calls on the [municipal executive/alderman/mayor]:

• To investigate how advertising, sponsoring and marketing events for the fossil fuels and airline industry, as well as advertising for cruise travel, air travel and cars, can be legally banned by local law from public spaces;
• To act upon the solution that follows this investigation;
• Thereby defining fossil advertising as advertising by or for the fossil fuel industry (companies and interest groups in the coal sector and/or oil and gas sector), the aviation sector and fossil products and services (fossil fuels, airline holidays, airline tickets, electricity contracts that offer more than, gas contracts, cruise travel and cars, motorbikes, mopeds and scooters with a fossil or hybrid fuel engine).
• To create a condition for contract renewal and new contracts for public space advertising stipulating that fossil advertising is not allowed, until the local law is enforced;
• To call for a [nationwide/statewide] ban and contact the responsible ministries;
• [optional, but not preferred: to enter into a dialogue with the current operators of public space advertising, to see if there are possibilities to phase out these advertisements earlier;]
• To inform the council as soon as possible about the outcome of this investigation and the possibilities of a local ban;

And shall proceed to the order of the day.