Key Facts

• Amsterdam is the first capital city to ban outdoor ads for meat and fossil fuels.
• Ads for burgers, petrol cars, and airlines have been removed from public spaces like billboards and tram stops.
• The ban supports Amsterdam’s goal to be carbon neutral by 2050 and reduce meat consumption by 50%.
• Meat ads were only 0.1% of Amsterdam’s outdoor ad spending, while fossil fuel ads were about 4%.
• Local politicians say the ban aligns public advertisements with the city’s environmental policies.
• Critics include the Dutch Meat Association, which says meat provides essential nutrients, and travel groups unhappy about holiday ads being banned.
• Environmental activists compare the ban to past tobacco ad restrictions, aiming to change public norms around high carbon products.
• The new ads now promote cultural events like museum exhibits and concerts instead of high carbon or meat products.