Description
Who: Region of Stockholm, Sweden
What: Political agreement to ban fossil and gambling ads (see point 43 here). Fossil fuel ads in public transport are banned in the region of Stockholm.
When: March 2023: region announced fossil ad ban - January 2026: fossil and gambling ads to banned
2024: Court confirms regional fossil ad ban
The political party Moderaterna who did not agree with the regional fossil ad ban filed a court case, however the court ruled in favor of the ban in September 2024. The ban will thus go forward as planned, with the confidence that even a court case cannot stop it!
More on it by Badvertising Sweden here (in Swedish, translatable to English on page).
2024: Ban on fossil ads to be implemented in 2026
In January 2024 the region of Stockholm adopted Sweden's, and Scandinavia's, first ban on fossil fuel advertising. From January 2026, residents of the capital and other municipalities in the most populated region of Sweden will no longer have advertisements for fossil fuels and "fossil-powered products" imposed on them in, a ruling that covers the entire public transport system, including buses, subways, regional trains and ferries.
The decision results from the region setting high climate goals and the logical consequence that the use of fossil fuels must be phased out. "It is therefore in line with the county’s sustainability goals to limit advertising for fossil fuels and products that contribute to their consumption," the region writes in its decision.
The measure comes after a review of the advertising guidelines for public transport in connection with an upcoming procurement process looking to 2026. In the new guidelines, the region’s Traffic Administration has set conditions that ban advertisements for fossil fuels and “fossil-powered products”, such as cars with internal combustion engines. In the same policy, the region also bans advertisements for betting and gambling.
In a precedent setting move, the decision is highly likely to be followed by others. Discussions are currently underway about similar decisions being taken in both Gothenburg and the city of Stockholm (under separate administration). At the same time, in a country where winter sports are both hugely popular and under threat from global heating, there is a growing concern among organisers of snow and ice sport venues about accepting sponsorships from carbon intensive companies such as fossil fuel companies, car manufacturers and aviation.
Although a big step forward, the decision stopped short of challenging competition legislation which had the effect of exempting ‘services’, such as passenger transport, as the restriction only applies to "fossil fuels and fossil fueled products". One result of this is likely to be that advertising for climate-killing air travel will still be allowed. So this represents progress but with more work still to do.
You can read the Stockholm region's decision document here (in Swedish). Blog by Badvertising Sweden here (in Swedish, translatable to English on page).
2023: Public transport bans fossil ads
In March 2023, the wider Region of Stockholm announced that guidelines for advertising will be updated to meet sustainability criteria, with a specific focus on fossil advertising. This is in line with the agreement negotiated earlier by the Left Party, Social Democrats, Green Party and Center Party in Stockholm. Paragraph 34 of this agreement reads as follows:
"A review of the criteria and guidelines for advertising in public transport will be carried out during the mandate period with a focus on stricter sustainability requirements. Gambling advertising, fossil fuel advertising and online doctors' advertising will be examined in particular."
Badvertising stated that sources close to the negotiations revealed that the revision of the guidelines will start in 2024. Blog by Badvertising Sweden here (in Swedish, translatable to English on page).
