Stop advertising the crisis

The document advocates for legislative bans on advertising for fossil fuel-intensive goods and services, arguing that such measures are essential for demand reduction and public health. It frames the current energy crisis—caused by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz—as a critical window for governments to remove contradictory messaging that stimulates fossil fuel consumption while citizens are asked to reduce use.

• A severe global energy supply shock has occurred due to the US-Israeli war on Iran and the near-total closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which has removed up to 20 million barrels of oil per day from global markets.
• Governments worldwide have implemented emergency demand-reduction measures, including mandated work-from-home orders in Indonesia and four-day working weeks in Pakistan, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka.
• Advertising bans are presented as an effective, low-cost tool for accelerating behaviour change and reducing demand, drawing parallels to successful restrictions on tobacco, gambling, and junk food.
• There is a growing global trend of local advertising restrictions, with The Hague being the first capital to legislate such a ban, followed by twelve other Dutch municipalities and cities such as Sydney, Edinburgh, and Sheffield.
• Public support for fossil fuel advertising bans is significant in the EU; a survey of 19,000 people across 13 countries found that 46.6% support such bans, with support outweighing opposition in every country surveyed.
• The document recommends three specific legislative actions: prohibiting advertising for fossil fuel-intensive goods and services, banning brand/reputational advertising and sponsorships to prevent greenwashing, and prohibiting pricing mechanisms that promote luxury energy-intensive goods like private jets.
• Fossil fuels are linked to significant public health crises, contributing to an estimated 8.7 million premature deaths annually due to air pollution.

APA

Klimakultur (2026). Stop advertising the crisis. https://www.klimakultur.no/media/usqpusw5/badvertising_stopadvertisingthecrisis.pdf

Chicago

Klimakultur. Stop advertising the crisis. 2026. https://www.klimakultur.no/media/usqpusw5/badvertising_stopadvertisingthecrisis.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Klimakultur |title=Stop advertising the crisis |date=April 2026 |url=https://www.klimakultur.no/media/usqpusw5/badvertising_stopadvertisingthecrisis.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{klimakultur2026stop, author = {{Klimakultur}}, title = {{Stop advertising the crisis}}, institution = {Klimakultur}, year = {2026}, month = apr, url = {https://www.klimakultur.no/media/usqpusw5/badvertising_stopadvertisingthecrisis.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }