How healthcare professionals can fight fossil ads

The document argues that fossil fuel advertising normalizes the use of coal, oil, and gas, and falsely presents these industries as leaders in the energy transition. It advocates for a 'tobacco-style' ban on fossil fuel promotions, asserting that healthcare workers are uniquely trusted messengers to communicate the health risks of air pollution and climate disruption. The guide outlines a five-step strategy for mobilization: connecting with health groups, developing a strategy with early movers, launching with press-worthy actions, building pressure through local or national lobbying, and evaluating progress. It highlights successful campaigns from Declare Comms in Australasia, the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) in Canada, and 'Van wie is de lucht?' in the Netherlands, while also mentioning international efforts like the Global Climate and Health Alliance and the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty.

• Fossil fuel advertising is used to normalize the production and demand of coal, oil, and gas, and to 'greenwash' the industry's image by falsely positioning companies as drivers of the energy transition.
• The fossil fuel industry employs marketing tactics similar to those used by the tobacco industry, including the use of 'psychological warfare' and the bribery of scientists and doctors to disguise the harmful effects of their products.
• Air pollution from fossil fuels is a major global health threat, causing 13 million preventable deaths worldwide every year, with 9 million attributed to pollution specifically.
• The World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General has described fossil fuel air pollution as the 'new tobacco', suggesting the industry requires the same treatment as tobacco regarding advertising and sponsorship bans.
• Healthcare professionals are identified as highly trusted figures in society, making them effective spokespeople to frame the climate crisis as a health crisis and push for advertising bans.
• In Australasia, the Declare Comms 'Ban Ad Fossil' campaign has resulted in at least 13 local councils, including Sydney, moving to ban fossil fuel advertisements or sponsorships.
• The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) published an open letter signed by 700,000 healthcare professionals calling for a fossil fuel ad ban, which led the Montreal bike-share company Bixi to drop ads from the fossil fuel organization Alliance Pathways.
• The Dutch campaign 'Van wie is de lucht?' (Who owns the air?) focuses on the intersection of health and climate justice, mobilizing over 1,000 healthcare professionals within a few months.

APA

Noble, B., Temper, L., Braat, C., Sleegers, F., & Doppen, M. (2023). How healthcare professionals can fight fossil ads. Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Healthcare-Toolkit-Fighting-Fossil-Fuels.pdf

Chicago

Noble, Belinda, Leah Temper, Charlotte Braat, Femke Sleegers, and Martine Doppen. How healthcare professionals can fight fossil ads. Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, 2023. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Healthcare-Toolkit-Fighting-Fossil-Fuels.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Noble |first1=Belinda |last2=Temper |first2=Leah |last3=Braat |first3=Charlotte |last4=Sleegers |first4=Femke |last5=Doppen |first5=Martine |title=How healthcare professionals can fight fossil ads |publisher=Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment |date=September 2023 |url=https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Healthcare-Toolkit-Fighting-Fossil-Fuels.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{noble2023how, author = {Noble, Belinda and Temper, Leah and Braat, Charlotte and Sleegers, Femke and Doppen, Martine}, title = {{How healthcare professionals can fight fossil ads}}, institution = {Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}, year = {2023}, month = sep, url = {https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Healthcare-Toolkit-Fighting-Fossil-Fuels.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }