30 January, 2026

Advertising shapes the way we live, far often more than we like to admit. It quietly guides our choices long before we start weighing up facts. And when it comes to climate action, that influence really matters.  

With the IPCC claiming demand-side measures including behaviour change could cut emissions by 40–70% by 2050, it’s clear the messages we’re surrounded by every day can either accelerate or undermine progress. 

That’s why Amsterdam’s move to ban advertising for highcarbon products across all public spaces is one to watch closely. The city has cut off the use of advertising space for flights, petrol and diesel vehicles, gas heating contracts and meat products, despite resistance from the industries affected.  

But are bans really necessary? Carbon labelling is a more popular way to shift consumption and appears to offer a neat solution, but hasn’t taken off in practice. Labels struggle to compete with adverts that appeal to emotion. And without much time to play with, regulating what gets advertised may be more effective than regulating how we advertise. 

The backdrop, of course, isn’t entirely rosy. Recent watering down of decarbonisation targets shows how fragile momentum can be. But the growing pushback against fossil fuel advertising from cities, campaigners and even the UN Secretary General suggests this might be an area where a cultural shift is underway. And that’s something worth amplifying. 

By Patrick Bapty