Polling finds big UK majority in favour of curbs on polluting ads
In a new, nationally representative survey of UK public attitudes, over two thirds (68%) of UK adults said that they would restrict the advertising of environmentally harmful products. The findings reflect growing levels of public concern over the climate crisis. Seven out of ten (69%) in the same survey said that the term ‘climate emergency’ was an appropriate, or even understated, way of describing climate change. The survey, Attitudes to Advertising, was conducted online by Opinium Research among a sample of 2,000 UK adults, weighted to be nationally representative, and undertaken at the end of March and beginning of April 2022.
SUV ads take the hit
As well as general attitudes to advertising, people were asked which sort of environmentally harmful products in particular they believed should face curbs on their advertising. Nearly half of UK adults (45%) favour restrictions on adverts for highly polluting cars, most of which are SUVs, and one third (33%) support restricting ads for air travel. Both SUV-type cars and flights are, of course, major contributors to increasing global carbon emissions, and advertising has been directly linked to an increase in sales for both.
The latest IPCC report has been very clear that global emission reduction targets will not be met without placing curbs on the demand for high-carbon products and activities. More strikingly, the UN scientific body specifically recognises the role played by advertising in driving demand for high-emitting goods and services, and cited advertising regulations as part of a series of strategies to mitigate against this.
This echoes calls from both campaigners and industry insiders about the direct contribution of advertising in driving up carbon emissions and the urgent need to reform the industry.
“Promoting fossil fuel companies, SUVs and airlines in a climate emergency is like advertising cigarettes in a hospital. Not only do nearly half want to see less advertising overall, this survey reveals that a large majority of people want to see ads for polluting products restricted or ended altogether.” - Andrew Simms, New Weather Institute
A world of less advertising?
Almost half (46%) of UK adults would also like to see and hear fewer adverts in their day to day lives. That number includes a striking one in five (19%) UK adults who, given the choice, would prefer to see no adverts at all. Only 13% were content with the amount of advertising they are currently exposed to.
These results indicate a high level of dissatisfaction in the general public about advertising. This presents politicians with at least one potentially popular, ‘pain-free’ measure to take for action to meet climate goals. It is supporting evidence for placing greater controls on the advertising that encourages the consumption of polluting goods and services which would not happen without their being actively promoted.