Amsterdam’s city council has approved a ban on so-called “fossil” advertising, commercial messages from companies deemed to harm the climate, including advertisements for meat products.

The measure, passed last week following a proposal from GroenLinks and the Partij voor de Dieren, will prohibit such advertising across public spaces in the Dutch capital.

The new restrictions formalise policies that Amsterdam has been gradually implementing since 2020 through voluntary agreements with advertisers. Under the approved plan, the rules will be embedded in the city’s General Local Regulation (APV), giving them legal standing.

While the council initially proposed a May implementation date, Alderman Melanie van der Horst indicated this week that the timeline will be extended to allow for a “reasonable transition period”.

Amsterdam joins several other Dutch municipalities, including Utrecht and Zwolle, that have enacted bans on fossil-fuel advertising in public areas. However, it distinguishes itself internationally as the first capital city to adopt such measures, expanding a trend already underway in cities such as The Hague, Delft, and Nijmegen.

In addition to meat advertising, the ban will apply to promotions for air travel, cruise holidays and petrol-powered vehicles.

The move reflects Amsterdam’s broader climate strategy aimed at reshaping public spaces and reducing the visibility of high-emission products and services.

The decision has sparked debate within advertising and business communities. Some advertisers and trade associations have questioned the practical and legal enforceability of the ban, describing it as largely symbolic and warning of potential legal challenges, particularly from companies with existing advertising contracts in public spaces.

For food and beverage companies, particularly those operating in the protein, meat and alternative protein sectors, the Amsterdam ban signals a shifting regulatory and reputational landscape in Europe, with public advertising increasingly scrutinised through a climate lens.

A definitive start date for the ban has not yet been announced.