BREAK THE FOSSIL INFLUENCE

This guide by the Global Climate and Health Alliance provides a framework for health organizations to screen and select PR and media agencies to ensure they are not connected to the fossil fuel industry. It argues that health organizations can use their credibility to revoke the 'social license' of fossil fuel companies by refusing to work with agencies that promote them, drawing a parallel to how the health community challenged the tobacco industry.

• The fossil fuel industry has used disinformation campaigns to mislead the public and policymakers about climate change, employing 'targeted lobbying and doubt-inducing media strategies' that mirror the tactics previously used by the tobacco industry.
• Health organizations are encouraged to adopt a 'Commitment for Fossil-Free Health Communications,' which involves intending to work exclusively with PR and advertising agencies that have no ongoing relationships with fossil fuel companies, including oil, gas, coal, and associated lobbying organizations.
• The guide outlines a three-step screening process for hiring agencies: first, requesting full client disclosure (specifically for the past 3 years); second, requesting a fossil-free commitment (such as the Clean Creatives pledge); and third, looking for public accountability through the agency's public statements and ethical guidelines.
• The healthcare advertising market is a significant area of influence, valued at USD 42.28 billion in 2024 and projected to reach USD 64.21 billion by 2032, with a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 5.4%.
• The document cites CVS Health as a case study in health leadership; in 2014, the company stopped selling tobacco products in its 7,600 U.S. retail stores, a move that cost an estimated $2 billion in annual revenue but helped revoke the tobacco industry's social license.
• There is a growing global movement against fossil fuel advertising, including the Clean Creatives initiative, which has organized over 1,200 agencies across 65 countries to pledge not to work with fossil fuel companies.

APA

Global Climate and Health Alliance (2025). BREAK THE FOSSIL INFLUENCE. https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/UPDATED-2005_Fossil-Fuel-PR-Guidance-Report-Digital.pdf

Chicago

Global Climate and Health Alliance. BREAK THE FOSSIL INFLUENCE. 2025. https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/UPDATED-2005_Fossil-Fuel-PR-Guidance-Report-Digital.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Global Climate and Health Alliance |title=BREAK THE FOSSIL INFLUENCE |date=May 2025 |url=https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/UPDATED-2005_Fossil-Fuel-PR-Guidance-Report-Digital.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{globalclimateandhealthalliance2025break, author = {{Global Climate and Health Alliance}}, title = {{BREAK THE FOSSIL INFLUENCE}}, institution = {Global Climate and Health Alliance}, year = {2025}, month = may, url = {https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/UPDATED-2005_Fossil-Fuel-PR-Guidance-Report-Digital.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }