Amsterdam Becomes the First Capital City to Ban Meat and Fossil Fuel Ads

Feature Image: Amsterdam, Netherlands. Photo by Krisztian Tabori on Unsplash.

For the first time, a capital city has decided that its billboards, tram, and metro stations shouldn’t be used to sell high-carbon choices.

On 1 May 2026, Amsterdam became the world’s first capital city to ban public advertisements promoting meat products and fossil fuel-intensive activities, including airline travel and petrol-powered vehicles. This step supports the city’s target of climate neutrality by 2050 – and sends a signal to both consumers and to businesses that the market for low-emission alternatives is where cities are heading.

Other capital cities – Paris, London, São Paulo, Seoul – could follow with similar bans of their own. Read below why they should.

Key Developments 

• Ban applies to municipal advertising spaces including tram stops, metro stations, and billboards.  

• Covers meat products, airline travel, cruises, and petrol and diesel vehicles.  

• Policy supports Amsterdam’s goal of carbon neutrality by 2050.  

• Builds on similar measures implemented in Haarlem, Utrecht, and Nijmegen.  

• Positions consumption choices as part of climate mitigation efforts. 

Why This Matters for Climate Action 

• Food systems contribute approximately one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions.  

• Livestock production is a major source of methane – a gas that warms the planet significantly faster than CO2 in the short term, increasing the likelihood of heatwaves, droughts, and extreme weather events. 

• Advertising tends to shape what feels normal – psychologically, socially, and culturally. By banning fossil fuel ads, Amsterdam is changing what is the norm for its residents.  

• Urban policy interventions are increasingly being used to support mitigation goals beyond energy and transport sectors. 

Potential Benefits 

Climate and Environmental Benefits 

• Reduces the visibility of high-carbon choices in everyday public spaces, making lower-carbon alternatives feel more normal. 

• Supports efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.  

• Other cities adopting similar bans could drive meaningful change. 

Health and Community Benefits 

• Lower meat consumption is linked to reduced rates of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, and mortality.  

• Frees up more public advertising space for local businesses, cultural events, and community building. 

• Increases public awareness of the links between everyday choices and climate change. 

Lessons for Citizens and Policymakers 

What You Can Do 

• Try to reduce your reliance on high-emission foods if you can – particularly beef and lamb. You don’t need to go fully plant-based – even one meal a week makes a difference.  

• Choose the train over a short-haul flight where it’s an option – every kilometer results in a meaningful difference in emissions. For everyday travel, public transport or cycling over driving. 

• Talk about it. Consumption choices are still treated as purely personal. Normalising the conversation – at work, with friends, in your community – is part of how norms shift.  

• Support local, sustainable, and/or second-hand businesses when you can.  

What Needs to Change Systemically 

• Cities can remove high-carbon choices from public advertising spaces in alignment with their climate neutrality goals. Amsterdam has shown this is possible.   

• Governments can make lower-carbon food and transport affordable and visible as the default option. 

• Cities and businesses can encourage sustainable choices through public awareness campaigns (e.g., plant-based diets, food waste reduction, public transport use, and active mobility such as cycling and walking). 

Read more: Extreme weather events | Health risks | Climate Risks Daily 

Original source: Amsterdam bans public adverts for meat and fossil fuels  

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