The story
- On May 1, 2026, Amsterdam enacted a legally binding ban on public advertising for meat products (beef, chicken, pork, fish) and fossil fuel-linked products (petrol and diesel vehicles, airlines, cruises, faraway holidays, and gas heating contracts).
- The city council voted 27-17 in January in favor of the measure, championed by the GreenLeft and Party for the Animals parties, as part of the city's goal to reach carbon neutrality by 2050.
- The ban applies to bus and tram shelters, public transport vehicles, and city-owned digital screens. Private stores, newspapers, and digital platforms are exempt.
- Amsterdam is the world's first capital city to pass such a ban — following the Dutch city of Haarlem, which enacted a similar measure in 2024 and served as the template.
- "If you spend lots of tax money trying to manage climate change, why would you rent out your public walls to exactly the opposite?" said city councillor Anneke Veenhoff of GreenLeft.
- More than 50 cities worldwide are exploring or implementing similar restrictions, including Edinburgh, Stockholm, and Sydney. Spain is considering a nationwide version.
- Critics, including the Dutch Advertisers' Association, argue the ban conflicts with commercial freedom. Courts in the Netherlands have already ruled that local authorities may take climate action even when it conflicts with business interests.
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If you're trying to get rid of an addiction, it's not very handy to see it everywhere.
— Anneke Veenhoff, GreenLeft city councillor, Amsterdam
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