UK ad industry calls for ‘tobacco-style’ ban on fossil fuel marketing
In a letter to the UK Government, over 100 leading companies with turnover of more than £500 million from across the advertising industry have called for, “a national ban on all advertising and sponsorship from fossil fuel companies”.
They’ve spoken out in advance of MPs debating restrictions on fossil fuel advertising in parliament on Monday 7th July, for the first time in history. The debate was triggered after a petition supported by groups like Badvertising and Adfree Cities, and led by Chris Packham, raised more than 110,000 signatures.
The ad industry letter, covered in outlets including Forbes, Business Green, Edie and Campaign asks the Government to follow the precedent of the UK’s successful ban on tobacco marketing, amid the growing risks of fossil fuels to health, society, the economy and the future of life on Earth.
Signed by over 100 advertising organisations, and coordinated by Badvertising’s fellow campaign groups Purpose Disruptors, Clean Creatives and Creatives for Climate says, “Fossil fuel companies are the cigarette companies of the 21st century, using advertising and sponsorship to greenwash their image and sell products that are harmful to human health”.
The organisations, including national newspaper The Guardian, a major media platform, large creative agency OLIVER and other ad sector firms such as Lucky Generals, Mobsta and Elvis are headquartered in major cities ranging from London, Manchester, Leeds and Liverpool.
This is the first time that Parliament will debate restrictions on fossil fuel advertising and sponsorship, after a petition to ban fossil fuel advertising and sponsorship, led by broadcaster and wildlife conservationist Chris Packham, closed in May 2025 after gaining more than 110,000 signatures, across the 100,000 threshold needed to trigger a parliamentary debate..
Leading industry figures have been highly vocal in their support. Matt Longley, CEO at leading industry firm MOBSTA, said:
“Three years ago we had to make a choice. Did we, as a company, want to turn a blind eye to the climate crisis to further our profit? Or should we take a stand and draw a line under fossil fuel advertising and just say no? The response from every single person at Mobsta was resoundingly clear and we are proud to have not taken fossil fuel advertising since. Turning down millions in revenue can hurt a small company. But we survived and now we are thriving because of the decision we took. We can look each other in the eye and know we’ve made the right choice for us, for our clients and for the planet.”
With Caroline Davison, Managing Director at Elvis, adding:
“Agencies like ours are taking a stand against irresponsible advertising by proactively electing not to work with fossil fuel clients. But we need to supercharge this push for change before it's too late. We need the government to step up to the plate, create further momentum and introduce legislation that bans fossil fuel advertising as it did tobacco marketing. Re-focusing creative industries to put their considerable talents towards promoting a greener future is a win for all".
And Lameya Chaudhury, Head of Social Impact, at Lucky Generals, saying:
“Our industry always helped shape what’s next. But right now, we need to ask - are we shaping a future we believe in? Running fossil fuel ads is dangerous, outdated and out of step with the world we want to live in. At Lucky Generals, we’ve been moving with others on our journey towards climate action; joining Clean Creatives’ pledge to cut ties with fossil fuel polluters, rolling out anti-greenwashing training with Creatives for Climate, and backing the bold work of Purpose Disruptors. A ban isn’t extreme. It’s long overdue.”
Restrictions on tobacco advertising and sponsorship have been effective in reducing uptake of smoking by 37%. Restrictions on advertising for unhealthy food on the Transport for London network have also been proven to be effective, with substantial projected benefits to health and the NHS.
Fossil fuels are the leading cause of climate change, which health bodies warn is the biggest global threat to human health. Although many fossil fuel companies are expanding their operations, there are currently no national level restrictions on their marketing in the UK.
The burning of fossil fuels is also a leading driver of air pollution. Estimates of deaths linked to this alone from burning fossil fuels range from five to over eight million people making it one of the world’s major killers. In the UK, up to 43,000 people die each year from air pollution-related causes. The Royal College of Physicians expects the annual economic costs of air pollution to reach up to £30 billion each year by 2040.
Adding to the call from advertising agencies, 30 health organisations representing 12 million health professionals worldwide have ended their ties to fossil fuel advertising. Major medical journals, media platforms and several UK cities including Edinburgh and Sheffield have also introduced bans on advertising by fossil fuel companies.
In 2024, the UN Secretary General António Guterres called for governments to ban fossil fuel advertising to save the climate and health, urging advertising agencies to cut ties with fossil fuel clients. A number of respected British cultural institutions have ended fossil fuel funding following creative campaigns, including Royal Shakespeare Company, National Portrait Gallery and Tate.
Dr. Elaine Mulcahy, Director of the UK Health Alliance on Climate Change, said in advance of the UK parliamentary debate,
“Advertising fossil fuels is incompatible with public health. Just as we once banned tobacco ads to protect people from a deadly product, we must now do the same with fossil fuels, which are driving a global health crisis through air pollution, climate change, and environmental degradation.”
She added, “The UK Parliament debate is an important step toward ending the normalisation of an industry that harms health across every stage of life. As a supporter of the Break the Fossil Influence campaign, UKHACC is encouraging health organisations to cut ties with PR and advertising agencies that work to greenwash fossil fuel companies. This is about protecting lives and restoring integrity to public messaging.”