Amsterdam bans meat and fossil fuel advertising as part of fight against climate change

(Photo: AI)

According to the report, Amsterdam council members voted on Thursday to change the local ordinance and introduce the ban, despite Melanie van der Horst, the council member responsible for public spaces, warning of possible legal consequences due to existing advertising contracts.

The ban, which will take effect on May 1, applies to billboards placed on streets and advertising spaces at bus stops and on buses

It does not affect shop windows, where displays of the affected products will still be allowed. In Amsterdam, meat advertising accounts for 0.1 percent of all outdoor advertising space, while fossil fuel advertising accounts for 4.3 percent, they said.

According to research, food production is responsible for a third of global warming emissions, with meat production generating twice as many emissions as plant-based food. In the European Union, per capita meat consumption, currently 82 kilograms, would need to be reduced to 24 kilograms in order for the EU to reach its target of becoming carbon neutral by 2050. The Netherlands, with an average annual meat consumption of 75.8 kilograms per capita, is the EU’s main meat exporter.

MTI