Edinburgh bans advertising of high-carbon products in council spaces

It will include the promotion of vehicles, cruise holidays and commercial flights.

Council-owned advertising space in Edinburgh will now be strictly regulated (Jane Barlow/PA) (PA Wire)

Edinburgh has banned the promotion of fossil fuel-powered cars and exotic holidays on council-owned advertising spaces in a bid to boost efforts to decarbonise.

The ban, spearheaded by the Scottish Greens, extends to commercial flights, all SUVs including electric ones, and cruise ships.

The City of Edinburgh Council stopped short of extending the ban to meat products as it deemed that decision “highly controversial”.

Other categories including fossil fuel firms and arms manufacturers will be excluded from sponsorship partnerships across council-owned advertising spaces.

The move to prohibit high-carbon advertising and sponsorship follows a similar policy introduced by Sheffield City Council in March.

It is hoped the ban will prompt behavioural change from consumers, and officials said allowing such advertising to continue could undermine efforts to reduce emissions.

City of Edinburgh Council said reaching net zero targets requires “a shift in society’s perception of success”, and that advertising has “a key role to play in promoting low-carbon behaviours”.

The ban is described as “basic common sense” by the Scottish Greens.

The council’s advertising and sponsorship policy was approved by its Policy and Sustainability Committee on Tuesday.

This is literally world-leading climate policy, putting Edinburgh ahead of any other global capital city

Robbie Gillett, Adfree Cities

Green councillor Ben Parker, who spearheaded the policy, said: “We’re pleased the council has taken a lead on the issue of fossil free advertising and sponsorship, and hope to see other councils across Scotland follow suit.

“It’s just basic common sense that if the council is serious about climate justice, we cannot allow council advertising space to be used to promote fossil fuel companies.

“We have taken a clear step to say: we don’t need their money, we don’t want their money, and we don’t think it’s right for the council to legitimise the practices of organisations whose business is to profit from war.”

The policy is supported by Adfree Cities, and Robbie Gillett from the campaign group said: “Our daily exposure to adverts encouraging us to buy more and more polluting products runs in contradiction to the urgent need to decarbonise our economy.

“Edinburgh council has taken an important step to resolve that contradiction. This is literally world-leading climate policy, putting Edinburgh ahead of any other global capital city.”