World first: The Hague (NL) bans fossil ads through local law and WINS COURT CASE

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    Description

    1st court case against fossil ad ban is WON

    Per 1 January 2025, The Hague (the Netherlands) will be free of advertising for fossil products and services! As 1st municipality in the world, The Hague has adopted a fossil ad ban in the local ordinance (local law).

    The travel industry went to court to stop the fossil ad ban in The Hague (dd April 11th 2025). The court tossed all the arguments of the travel industry and upholds the fossil ad ban. The court was very clear in its verdict (dd April 25th 2025): people and planet provail above financial interest of companies.

    This is a huge opportunity and boost for other cities around the world to also ban fossil ads by law!

    The ad ban in The Hague includes ads on fossil fuels, flight holidays, flight tickets, grey electricity contracts, gas contracts, cruises and fossil and hybrid cars.

    Short summary of the verdict

    The court clearly prioritised the public interests of health, climate, and the livability of the city over the financial interests of the travel industry. Therefore, the court concluded that the municipality had sufficiently demonstrated that the advertising ban contributes to protecting the health of the city's residents and visitors and to reducing the negative effects of climate change. In order to protect these public interests, the municipality is entitled to impose regulations within its boundaries, such as the advertising ban. The court thus dismissed the claims of the travel industry. The municipality can therefore proceed with the advertising ban.

    Relevant information on the court case

     

    PRESS RELEASE
    Court Rules:     Judge Upholds Fossil Fuel Ad Ban, Tosses Industry Argument Against The Hague

    Industry Went To Court To Protect Pollution Rather Than Change For The Better

    The Hague, Netherlands – April 25, 2025 – Today, a Dutch court ruled on The Hague’s ban on fossil fuel advertisements for air travel and cruise travel, the first of its kind in the world. 

    This is the first time worldwide that a court has vetted a municipal ad ban. It confirms that (local) governments can lawfully take necessary climate action, also where it might be contrary to economic interests of polluting companies. 

    With this historic ruling, The Hague has set a precedent that allows many other municipalities to ban fossil fuel advertisements like ads for air travel and cruise travel through local ordinances. Reclame Fossielvrij, the NGO that launched the campaign to ban fossil fuel ads in the Netherlands, is delighted with the verdict.

    “This is a breakthrough for the fossil ad ban and for the health of people and planet. Municipalities around the world can now clear their streets of ads that fuel the climate crisis,” said Femke Sleegers of Reclame Fossielvrij (Fossil Free Advertising). “Just as anti-smoking policies are ineffective when tobacco ads are everywhere, we can’t have effective climate policy while fossil fuel products are promoted on every street corner.” 

    Selected quotes from the verdict (our own translation):

    "After all, the Municipality has sufficiently substantiated that the advertising ban, within the limits of its legal authority, can contribute to countering the effects of climate change and to improving the health of the residents and visitors of The Hague." (5.17)

     "After all, the general public health interests of the citizens are solely  balanced against the commercial interest of the advertisers. It is therefore no surprise that this balancing of interests turned out unfavorably for the advertisers." (5.26)

    "It is not up to the Municipality to refrain from taking measures to promote the health of its residents in order to strengthen the future (financial) position of travel providers." (5.26)

    It comes after a recent survey from the Climate Action Against Disinformation coalition showing a majority of Dutch people support the ban as a way to slow the spread of climate disinformation, as well as a Nature Climate Change study showing such a policy has twice the level of active support across Europe as it does opposition.

    Read the full press release here.

     

    PRESS RELEASE VOTE FOR FOSSIL AD BAN
    World first: The Hague is the first city to ban fossil advertising through ordinance

    The Hague, September 12, 2024 - The Hague is the first city in the world to ban fossil advertising through local law (ordinance). Today the city council voted in favor of the initiative proposal from the Hague Party for the Animals that regulates this ban. Leonie Gerritsen (PvdD): 'The Hague will become the first city in the world to actually ban fossil advertising. This is an important signal that the government city is sending: we must get rid of our fossil addiction.'

    The ban will come into effect on January 1, 2025 and applies to advertising for fossil products and services such as air holidays, cruise holidays, petrol cars and gas suppliers. In four months, these advertisements will have disappeared from the public space of The Hague. Leonie Gerritsen (PvdD): “The Hague wants to be climate neutral by 2030. Then it is inappropriate to allow advertising for products from the fossil industry. Fortunately, the city council now recognizes this.”

    Courage

    Reclame Fossielvrij (Advertising Fossil Free) is also pleased. “The Hague shows the courage needed to tackle the climate crisis. If you want to get rid of fossil fuels, you stop advertising that promotes fossil fuel use," said Femke Sleegers. She thinks that many cities will follow the example of The Hague. “The Hague shows that this is possible through local law. This decision could have a snowball effect worldwide."

    Contracts
    The municipalities of Zwolle and Tilburg (both Netherlands) are still in the process of banning fossil ads through local law. Most other cities that want to ban fossil advertising from public spaces arrange this via contracts or voluntary agreements with operators. Gerritsen: “The disadvantage of this is that with a bit of bad luck it can take eight years before all fossil advertising has disappeared from the city. With this new policy, all fossil ads will disappear at the same moment, a clear signal to the city and the companies.”

    United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres called for a global ban on fossil advertising.

     

    Timeline: what happened before

    September 12th 2024: Fossil ad ban through the local ordinance is adopted!
    The law change proposal of Party for the Animals to ban fossil ads through local law has a majority vote and became worldnews. Find an (unofficial) translation to English here.

    2024: City board change and new local law proposal

    The new city board announces they want to ban fossil ads when new contracts are to be signed. The Animal Party hands in a second local law proposal, in an attempt to ban fossil ads immediately. The vote on this porposal was planned for the 11th of July 2024 but is postponed to 12th of September 2024.

    2023: The Hague city board agreement mentions fossil ad ban

    The new city board coalition agreement of 2022-2026 announces that the city wants to research the possibilities to ban fossil ads in The Hague. However, the city board falls and a new, more progressive city board is installed, including the Animal Party that came with the previous local law proposal.

    2023: local law proposal barely lost

    Because the city board seems to be postponing, the Animal Party proposed a second initiative proposal (2023) to ban fossil ads and meat. This proposal (the city board has to react) can serve as a good example of how to ban fossil ads through the local law. In the end, D66 voted against while they before stated to be in favour, meaning the majority for the proposal was lost.

    Reclame Fossielvrij organised support from the city to adopt a ban on fossil ads in the local ordinance. 150 national and local organisations - amongst which a national bank and several famous people - signed to support a ban on fossil ads in the local ordinance.

    2021: motion passed

    In The Hague, the debate about fossil ads started in 2021. The (won) motion by the Green party (GroenLinks), Labour party (PvdA), Animal party (PvdD), Socialist party (SP), DENK, D66 and ChristenUnie demanded a ban on fossil ads from bus shelters.

     

    A ban via the local ordinance (APV) has advantages for municipalities and residents (compared to amending contracts):

    • the ban can take effect immediately (as opposed to waiting for often very long-running contracts to expire)
    • the ban applies to all advertising throughout the city (as opposed to advertising operators dealing one by one when their contracts expire)
    • there are no structural costs for the municipality (as opposed to fines if contracts are broken)
    • for residents, the ban is actually visible in the street. This does justice to the urgency of the climate crisis (as opposed to waiting for the last contract to expire - often after 2028)
    • for advertising operators, it creates a level playing field (as opposed to the party with the longest contract is still allowed to advertise polluting products)
    Media & Press

    Quotes about the local law that bans fossil ads in The Hague (NL)

    "Legal arguments against banning fossil fuel advertising are hardly compelling. Advertising is regulated and restricted in many ways. Just think of advertising of tobacco. The same holds for fossil advertising: it can be banned. If anything, legal obligations to limit global warming suggest that fossil advertising should be banned.”

    Professor Ingo Venzke (University of Amsterdam) who wrote the article “The Legality of Banning Fossil Advertising” for the European Law Blog

    "The decision of The Hague to ban fossil ads by local law is consistent with the climate goals. In our report we conclude that fossil advertising normalizes and promotes unsustainable behavior and discourages sustainable behavior, actively undermining current climate policy. Major government investments are needed to counteract the negative effect of fossil advertising. If fossil advertising is banned, these resources can be better deployed, for example to strengthen sustainable options and facilities such as public transport."

    Associate Professor Thijs Bouman (Rijksuniversiteit Groningen), author of the paper “A ban on fossil ads is essential, but other measures are also needed”

    “An intercontinental flight, a sea cruise or an SUV alone can use up our fair CO2 budget per capita for an entire year. Advertising for high-emission products tends to increase their sales by awakening supposed needs in consumers. On a cultural meta-level, it also normalises the consumption of environmentally harmful products - although we all urgently need to reduce our lifestyle carbon footprint in order to keep global warming within tolerable limits.

    The "City of Peace and Justice" sends a strong signal for sustainability and intergenerational justice - local and media politicians around the world should take a look and reflect on their options for limiting fossil advertising in cities, on television, on platforms and in other media in favour of our children and grandchildren.”

    Dr. Uwe Krüger, communications scientist at Leipzig University, and on behalf of the foundation Otto Brenner Stiftung, writer of the report Advertising for climate killers: How TV and YouTube advertising violates the German Interstate Media Treaty

    "I first saw the severity of air pollution during my medical training. In the cutting room, we were studying lung tissue. The lungs in front of me were not pretty pink, but downright black. Smoker's lungs, I thought. But this turned out to be incorrect. This person had never smoked, but had lived all his life on the edge of the highway.

    How can you expect citizens to contribute to the fight against climate change when they are constantly tempted on the streets by advertisements for polluting activities, such as flight deals to Spain or for driving an SUV? Advertisements that they did not ask for, but which unconsciously influence our behaviour and culture.

    Charlotte Hoffman, Physician and PhD student global air pollution

    "This is an exciting development in the world-wide movement to stop the promotion of climate pollution. Sixteen Australian councils, including Sydney, have voted for a range of restrictions on fossil fuel ads and sponsorships. I hope this news will spark more to follow here and across the global south."

    Belinda Noble, Founder, Comms Declare, Australia

    “Hats off to The Hague for becoming the first city to ban fossil fuel ads through local law. It’s a strong move with real impact, and sets a strong example for cities around the world to follow. Brussels, as the EU capital, should be next in line.”

    Anuna de Wever, climate justice campaigner, Belgium

    “The passing of the Ad Ban is not only a win for the City of Hague but it is also a win for the rest of the world. We at the Ad Ban campaign at Fossil Free South Africa congratulate the city of Hague. We equally encourage other governments especially Africa to follow this great example in truly fighting climate change”

    Lazola Kati, Fossil Ad Ban campaign Manager Fossil Free South Africa

    "We congratulate The Hague to this important step in the fight against fossil ads! Stopping incentives for climate-harmful consumption is an important step towards climate neutrality. We hope that both Graz (Austria) will soon follow The Hague's example, and that many other cities and municipalities decide for this step too."

    Leonhard Rabensteiner, campaigner Werbefrei Austria

    “The city of The Hague has declared it is no longer willing to promote its own self destruction by banning in law adverts for the most polluting products and lifestyles. After the hottest summer on record and the huge, rapidly growing health and economic costs of air pollution from burning fossil fuels, this legal move is one of the easiest steps governments can take at the city and national level. When you are in a climate-crisis hole, the simplest thing to do is stop digging and that means not advertising the things that got you in trouble to begin with. Any sensible, responsible authority should follow The Hague’s initiative.”

    Andrew Simms, author, analyst and co-director of the New Weather Institute, UK

    High carbon ads are polluting our minds and fuelling the climate crises. The decision in Hague to introduce a legal ban on such ads is groundbreaking news and a great step forward in limiting the influence of the fossil fuel industry. Many cities around the world share the same ambition, and the Hague ban will be an important inspiration

    Anna Jonsson, co-founder New Weather Sweden.

    PRESS COVERAGE

    April 2025 (on the court case):

    September 2024 (on the vote - selection):

    Up to 2023:

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