Press release

Media reaction: Fossil fuel ad ban is "bare minimum" to meet climate targets 

11 April 2025 

A legal challenge against The Hague for introducing a world-first law to ban fossil fuel advertising will be heard in Court today. 

At the start of this year, the Dutch city and home of the International Court of Justice saw its high-carbon ad ban come into effect – which outlaws any publicly and privately funded advertising for petrol and diesel, aviation, and cruise ships. 

The ANVR – the Dutch trade association for travel agencies – filed a lawsuit against the ban and will be making its arguments before the Hague Court.

Environmental legal charity ClientEarth – who supported a successful greenwashing case against the Dutch national airline KLM – wrote to the Court in support of The Hague City Council (Gemeente Den Haag) and argued that the ban is both a fundamental step for averting the worst of the climate crisis and complies with EU law.  [1]

ClientEarth lawyer Jonathan White said:

“Rather than contradict EU regulations, a high carbon ad ban is the bare minimum cities and governments across Europe must impose to meet their climate targets. 

“Over the past few years, Court after Court in both Europe and across the globe are confirming what campaigners have argued for years: states must act to reduce their emissions to protect people’s well-established human rights. [2] 

“And as we saw decades ago with tobacco products, banning the advertising of a harmful product is a critical step in reducing its use. 

“Just like the tobacco ban, fossil fuel advertising restrictions comply with EU law - as it is clearly in the public’s best interest for cities and states to address the climate crisis. 

“Cities the world over would be wise to follow The Hague’s lead and introduce a similar law to help usher in an era of depleting dependence on fossil fuels.” 

ENDS

Notes to editors:

[1]  ClientEarth’s letter is available here.

For more information on the District Court of Amsterdam’s ruling against KLM, please see our press release here.

[2] 2024 saw a number of legal outcomes that argued states must reduce their emissions in order to comply with international law.  These include:

  • The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) – the world’s authority on the Law of the Sea – which said in May 2024 that states must reduce their greenhouse gas emissions to comply with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and specifically their core obligation thereunder to protect and preserve the marine environment.   
  • The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) ruled in April 2024 that Switzerland must take more ambitious climate action to protect the rights of a group of senior Swiss women – a ruling that is binding on all 46 signatory Parties and sets a legal expectation worldwide.   
  • Further afield in Hawaii, the state agreed in June 2024 to decarbonise its transport system in a settlement with 13 young people. The youth-led lawsuit argued that Hawaii was violating their rights under its constitution by prioritising infrastructure (i.e. highway construction) that would lock-in greenhouse gas-emitting transport.     

 And in August 2024, South Korea’s Constitutional Court ruled that the country’s climate plan failed to protect people’s human rights – particularly those of younger generations. 

About ClientEarth

ClientEarth is a non-profit organisation that uses the law to create systemic change that protects the Earth for – and with – its inhabitants. We are tackling climate change, protecting nature and stopping pollution, with partners and citizens around the globe. We hold industry and governments to account, and defend everyone’s right to a healthy world. From our offices in Europe, Asia and the USA we shape, implement and enforce the law, to build a future for our planet in which people and nature can thrive together.