Advertising for fossil-fueled goods and services banned

Last year, the left-wing government of Region Stockholm decided to ban advertising for, among other things, fossil-fueled products, and now Västtrafik in Västra Götaland County is following suit. The reason is that they believe that carbon dioxide emissions are not decreasing rapidly enough.

The decision was made in January 2024 by Region Stockholm.

– Public transport should be a sustainable mode of travel. And advertising should not work against the region’s sustainability goals. It is a direction that I believe is appreciated by our passengers, said Anton Fendert, traffic regional councilor (MP).

“Now your journey with us becomes even greener,” Västtrafik announces on its website after the decision on a similar ban, which is claimed to be “an important step in reducing climate impact together.”

The banned advertising types include those for fossil fuels such as gasoline, oil, and coal, as well as cars, boats, mopeds, airplanes, and other vehicles that are wholly or partially powered by fossil fuels.

Advertising for fossil-fueled goods, air transport, and charter trips where the advertiser only offers flights as transportation is also prohibited.

“In the midst of a climate crisis”

The ban applies to advertising spaces on all buses, trams, trains, and boats, as well as about 650 bus shelters managed by Västtrafik.

– Carbon dioxide emissions are not decreasing rapidly enough, while we in public transport are almost fossil-free. It does not feel reasonable to display advertising for something that clearly contributes to negative climate impact, says Lars Backström, CEO of Västtrafik.

According to Backström, we are “in the midst of a climate crisis,” and advertising to exacerbate it is unreasonable.

Electric cars a borderline case

At the same time, he admits that it will be difficult to only allow advertising for things that have nothing to do with emissions and uses electric cars as an example.

– Their production is emission-heavy, but we cannot look at the entire chain backward, he tells Göteborgs-Posten.

He would prefer to see only advertising for Västtrafik’s own products and “sustainable travel” on their advertising spaces.