Fossil fuels, advertising and 'greenwashing'

Fossil fuel companies are those that extract, produce, transport, refine or market fossil fuels (such as oil, natural gas, and coal). Fossil fuel advertising promotes the consumption of fossil fuels, such as gasoline, natural gas and coal. It also promotes the purchase of goods and services associated with fossil fuel use, such as air travel, SUVs, and fast fashion. Advertising may also be used to manage public perception about the use of fossil fuels in the context of climate change concerns.

In the UK and internationally there is an ongoing debate about whether fossil fuel advertising should be banned. Those in favour of a ban argue variously that this type of advertising is a form of ‘greenwashing’, which downplays the impact of fossil fuel products on climate change. Greenwashing is a marketing tactic used to make a company or product appear environmentally friendly, without meaningfully reducing its environmental impact. Examples of greenwashing include bold marketing claims, the use of nature-inspired imagery or colours on packaging, or ‘green labelling’, where products or services purport to be more environmentally friendly than they actually are.

Those opposed to a ban on fossil fuel advertising argue that there is a fine line between protecting consumers from potentially misleading adverts and preventing a company from marketing legal products. Others suggest that where fossil fuel companies are investing in renewable energy, alternative fuels and low-carbon technologies they should be allowed to advertise that progress.

On 5 June 2024, World Environment Day, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres made a speech that called for countries to take action to restrict or prohibit advertising by the fossil fuel industry.

France was the first European country to ban fossil fuel adverts in 2022, although there are some exceptions (for example, adverts for natural gas or to sponsor events are still allowed). Both Canada and Ireland have also introduced draft legislation to ban fossil fuel advertising. In the UK, the city of Edinburgh has introduced high-carbon advertising bans on council-owned advertising billboards.

On 7 July 2025 there was a Westminster Hall debate on a proposed UK-wide ban on fossil fuel advertising and sponsorship, this was triggered by an e-petition submitted by the naturalist Chris Packham. Responding to this petition, the government said it was “committed to reducing emissions from high carbon products and will continue to bring forward proposals to do so”. However, it confirmed that “there are currently no plans to restrict fossil fuel advertising”.

Opening the debate, Jacob Collier MP (Labour) highlighted the scale of the problem, arguing that “fossil fuel advertising is not just billboards - it is a coordinated strategy to shape culture and delay change”. Others argued that if the UK is serious about climate leadership, it should introduce a ban. There was also a focus on public health and climate risks of continuing to allow fossil fuel advertising.

The MPs who opposed the proposal argued that a ban on fossil fuel advertising and sponsorship would “signal that the UK’s energy industry is closed for business”. They focused on freedom of expression and potential loss of sponsorship funding for public events, arguing that a balance needs to be struck. While recognising that there was a need to tackle misleading green claims, they argued that this could be achieved through stronger enforcement by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).

This briefing examines fossil fuel advertising, climate misinformation, UK policy and regulatory responses, and stakeholder views.