The Amsterdam City Council has decided to ban advertising for meat products and goods powered by fossil energy in public spaces, a move that would remove promotions for petrol and diesel cars, cruises and flights from the city’s streets.
The ban was proposed by the green party GroenLinks and the animal rights party Partij voor de Dieren and follows similar measures adopted in other Dutch cities, including Haarlem, Nijmegen and Utrecht. Amsterdam officials said the decision would make the city the first capital in the world to prohibit outdoor advertising for meat products.
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From a transport perspective, the measure is expected to have a broader impact by restricting advertising for fossil-fuelled products, including internal combustion engine vehicles and air and sea travel. Electric vehicles and other non-fossil alternatives would not be affected by the ban.
Efforts to limit fossil fuel advertising in Amsterdam date back to 2020, when GroenLinks and other parties pushed for restrictions. At that time, the city opted for a partial approach, reaching an agreement with metro station advertising operators to stop displaying fossil fuel-related ads rather than implementing a formal ban.
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The new prohibition is set to be incorporated into the city’s Algemene Plaatselijke Verordening (APV), with an initial target date of May 1, 2026. However, deputy mayor Melanie van der Horst has cautioned that enforcing the ban by that date may be premature, citing existing advertising contracts and the risk of legal challenges from advertisers. She has called for a “reasonable transition period” before full implementation.
According to city data cited by van der Horst, advertising for fossil-fuel products currently accounts for about 4.3% of outdoor advertising in Amsterdam, while meat-related advertising represents roughly 0.1%. The overall effectiveness of the ban remains uncertain, as it applies only to outdoor advertising. Promotions for restricted products would still be allowed on television, radio, online platforms, in cinemas and in print media.