Why France's Fossil Fuel Ad Ban Matters

Last week, France made history as the first European country to ban fossil fuel ads. Part of President Emmanuel Macron's pledge to reduce the country's greenhouse gas emissions, the move will see companies face fines of up to about $100,000 (or 100,000 euros) for promoting gas products or energy derives from coal mining and hydrogen-containing carbons. Ads for natural gas are still permitted for now, but new rules are set to be introduced in June next year which will ban these, too. Upon the news of France's decision, the city of Sydney cemented its own ban to prevent coal, oil and gas from being promoted on its properties and events. Other regions within the New South Wales, Australia state, including Victoria, Yarra and Moreland, also voted on how they should proceed with bans on fossil fuel advertisement in April and July respectively. In 2021, Amsterdam and five other Dutch cities banned public ads for fossil fuel products. Elsewhere, U.K. councils, including Liverpool, Norwich and North Somerset, have passed similar policies. For Jonathan Wise, co-founder at Purpose Disruptors, a community-based organization of advertising insiders working together to reshape the industry's approach to the climate emergency, it's not an unlikely prospect that other nations will follow France's lead. Following France's lead "The French have committed to achieving net zero emissions by 2050. So has the U.K.," Wise explained. "The French held a climate citizens assembly to assess ideas to help achieve this. The U.K. did the same. French citizens agreed with the idea to 'efficiently prohibit the advertising of the products that emit the most greenhouse gases.' U.K. citizens agreed with the idea to 'place controls and restrictions on advertising of environmentally damaging products.'" "With the French [having] just banned advertising for fossil fuel companies, it seems a credible idea that the U.K. and other markets will follow suit," he concluded. These Striking Nature Ads Call Out Mercedes-Benz for ‘Greenwashing 101’ Indeed, public appetite for fossil fuel brands to be held accountable for their impact is growing. A European petition for a new EU law to ban fossil fuel ads has raised more than 200,000 signatures. In the U.S. a recent investigation conducted by the Guardian, Vice News and Covering Climate Now surveyed 1,000 American adults and found that 70% agreed global warming was happening and more than 60% said oil and gas companies were “completely or mostly responsible.” It seems a credible idea that the U.K. and other markets will follow suitJonathan Wise, co-founder at Purpose Disruptors It's not just about energy behemoths though. Early in 2022, a separate study from think tank The New Weather Institute and Badvertising (an initiative to stop brands contributing to climate change) found 68% of people want to see more restrictions around the marketing of products that are unfriendly to the environment. Car brands and vacation firms—oft criticized for their contributions to global carbon emissions—were among companies that a pool of 700 consumers said should face tighter advertising curbs. Political greenwashing? With consumer complaints around "greenwashing" (the practice of advertisers falsely purporting brands to be environmentally friendly for the purpose of promotion) increasingly surfacing on regulators' desks, halting the advertising of products proven to pollute the environment could prove enticing for other politicians. However, Macron has already faced criticism, with some opponents saying France's sweeping new bill doesn't go far enough. Following the announcement last week, Greenpeace France tweeted: “You will read everywhere that advertising for fossil fuels is now prohibited, but that’s not true." The group has taken issue with the fact that promotions for gas companies—like France's largest, TotalEnergies—can still continue, because sponsorship deals are exempt from the new laws. Greenpeace protesters staged a demonstration outside Le Palais in Cannes in July 2022. As Greenpeace campaigner François Chartier, told Adweek, "This decree falls short of really contributing to tackling the climate catastrophe and leaves the door open to more greenwashing," highlighting that patronage, sponsorship, institutional communication and financial advertising on fossil fuel companies and products all remained authorized. He added: "It will not create any meaningful change and the fossil fuel industry will continue to greenwash and delay the climate action we urgently need. We need a legal ban at the EU level, as proposed in the European Citizens' Initiative launched by Greenpeace and 40 other organizations." For Brinsley Dresden, lead advertising and marketing law lead at Lewis Silkin, the ban will be effective in that it will be enforced in France through the appropriate legal and regulatory routes. But he's not convinced that the impact will reduce fossil fuel consumption, since gas purchasing in particular is less about brand loyalty and more about convenience and necessity. Clobbering advertising is a tried and trusted way for politicians to make themselves look proactive.Brinsley Dresden, advertising and marketing law lead, Lewis Silkin "Sadly, it is quite likely that other markets will copy the French example because it is a cheap and quick way for politicians to look as though they are doing something about climate change," he asserted. "Clobbering advertising is a tried and trusted way for politicians to make themselves look proactive, when in fact they are doing nothing useful to solve the underlying problem." Other critics have observed that the lack of promotional activity may hurt customers' wallets amid a cost of living crisis. “If we have a reduction in the price of petrol, it’s a bit stupid if we can’t tell anyone,” said Édouard Leclerc, chairman of Leclerc supermarkets. As countries edge closer to their self-imposed deadlines to deal with carbon consumption, fossil fuels and climate change policies like this are certain to become more commonplace at the highest regulatory level. At the 2022 Cannes Lions Festival in France, Greenpeace shamed big energy allies with a series of protests squared toward brands and their agencies. Away from the political sphere, the ad industry must check in with itself to ensure it's keeping pace, but also contributing to meaningful solutions before it's too late. 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Why France's Fossil Fuel Ad Ban Matters

A lead for other markets to follow or 'political greenwashing'?

Rebecca Stewart

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Rebecca Stewart