Description

Who: City and region of Stockholm, Sweden

What: Decision in the budget to ban fossil ads, sponsorships and other collaborations. Fossil fuel ads in public transport are banned in the region of Stockholm.

When: October 2022 - ongoing


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.

Budget announcement

In October 2022, the city of Stockholm announced that it aims to introduce a ban on fossil ads, sponsorships and other collaborations that drive the use of fossil fuels. Before implementation, the architecture of such a ban will be investigated during 2023, as can be found in their 2023 budget

“The municipal executive board will, together with Stockholms Stadshus AB, investigate, with the aim to introduce, a ban on advertising, sponsorship and other collaborations that drive fossil fuel use.” 

At the press conference, Åsa Lindhagen, representing the Green Party, also proclaimed that there will be no more negotiations nor collaborations with organisations that intend to increase air travel, instead Stockholm will be declared as a destination for train travel. 

While the formal decision is to carry out an investigation, the decision clearly states that the aim is to introduce such a ban. New Weather Sweden now will work to make sure that the investigation is executed in an unbiased way and that the recommendations are clear and rigorous.

Organisations involved
New Weather Sweden is aiming for a fossil ad ban in Stockholm as part of its work to ban all fossil advertising in the country.

The Social Democrats in Stockholm have put forward a motion in January 2021, and the Green party as well as the Left Party support the idea. Since the election in September 2022 these political parties have formed a governing majority in Stockholm.

Greenpeace Sweden is also working on the case of a fossil ad ban in Stockholm.

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