Description

Who: Municipality of Leiden, the Netherlands

What: A proposal was adopted:

  • Engage in discussions with advertising operators about reducing advertising for fossil products in public spaces.

When: September 2021 - ongoing


The Council of the Municipality of Leiden, meeting on 16 September 2021, adopted a motion put forward by the Dutch Green party (GroenLinks), Socialist party (SP) and Animal party (PvdD) and supported by ChristenUnie and D66. As no satisfactory outcome is presented yet, the process to ban fossil ads in Leiden is still ongoing.

 

Passed motion

Noting that

  • Leiden has the ambition to be a climate-neutral city by 2050. Fossil advertisements, such as advertisements by oil companies and airlines, do not fit this ambition because they encourage more fossil fuel use;
  • Advertisements for fossil products tempt and encourage Leiden residents to make purchases that contribute to climate change;

Whereas

  • Answers to technical questions revealed that a municipality can exclude specific advertisements;
  • Reducing advertisements for fossil products can contribute to the fight against climate change;

Requests the municipal executive committee to

  • Engage in discussions with advertising operators about reducing advertising for fossil products in public spaces;
  • Inform the council about this no later than 1 March 2022.