Stop ‘Mad Men fuelling the madness’- UN Secretary-General calls for fossil fuel ad ban
In a special address in New York to mark World Environment Day, today the UN Secretary-General António Guterres has backed the call for the world to stop promoting its own destruction and introduce a tobacco-style ban on fossil fuel adverts.
At a time when many political leaders are distracted and dragging their feet on climate, this marks an extraordinary intervention, which is highly unusual in the world of international diplomacy.
Guterres emphasised how the fossil fuel industry has shown “relentless zeal for obstructing progress” on climate action over decades; spending billions on “distorting the truth, deceiving the public and sowing doubt” like the tobacco industry before them, before turning his attention to the ad makers themselves.
The Secretary-General highlighted the fossil fuel industry’s use of ‘massive ad campaigns’, and how fossil fuel companies “have been aided and abetted by advertising and PR companies – Mad Men fuelling the madness.” He called on the ad sector to “stop acting as enablers of planetary destruction,” and to “stop taking on new fossil fuel clients, from today, and set out plans to drop your existing ones.” He argued that the industry's creative minds should instead turn their skills to promoting climate solutions.
Guterres also made calls for further regulation of fossil fuel advertising. On the role of governments, he said”
“I also call on countries to act. Many governments restrict or prohibit advertising for products that harm human health – like tobacco. Some are now doing the same with fossil fuels. I urge every country to ban advertising from fossil fuel companies.”
He then also urged “news media and tech companies to stop taking fossil fuel advertising.” Sponsorship, particularly in the worlds of culture and sport, is also part of how fossil fuel companies advertise and buy social acceptability. As evidenced by the recent ruling around fossil fuel advertising and sponsorship in Edinburgh, and the end of Toyota’s Olympics sponsorship, ending fossil fuel advertising will also naturally extend to ending highly polluting sponsorship deals.
Pointing out that people are already ahead of politicians, Guterres also raised the urgent need to reduce demand by “phasing down fossil fuels in our own lives.” In this context, the logic of the call to ban fossil fuel advertising also clearly applies to high-carbon industries, such as aviation and car manufacturers.
In the UK, where a general election campaign is in progress, the proposal for government action offers political parties an easy way to promote positive climate action, simply by removing additional pressure to consume polluting products and services. Ad bans will not prevent people from flying, for example, but they will reduce overall amounts of flying, which are influenced by massive ad campaigns encouraging people to take flights.
“This game-changing intervention by the most senior figure in the United Nations follows groundbreaking recent moves by cities internationally ranging from Edinburgh and Sheffield in the UK, to Stockholm in Sweden, Amsterdam in the Netherlands and many others to ban not just advertising from fossil fuel companies, but from other major fossil fuel polluters like the aviation and car industries,” says Andrew Simms, co-author of Badvertising, the book.
“Badvertising campaigns for an end to adverts that fuel the climate emergency. Now the most senior, independent global political figure is calling on the world to back this goal.”