Stop advertising for fossil fuels and polluting products, initiative of European citizens
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Definitive stop to advertisements and sponsorships of companies that make and distribute fossil fuels and other polluting products. The new European Citizens Initiative proposed by Greenpeace and over 20 associations aspires to this.
A notable precedent dates back to 2003, when the EU legislator banned advertisements and sponsors of the tobacco industry, recognizing that they pose a health threat. In that case of the individual, now of the planet.
'Many words, few facts'
The survey "Many words and few facts", Published by the research group DeSmog and commissioned by Greenpeace the Netherlands, revealed that about two thirds of an advertising sample of the six major European fossil fuel companies are greenwashing. Misleading messages to consumers that do not reflect the true activity of companies, but promote false solutions.
Over 3.000 ads of the six oil and gas giants in Europe - Eni, Shell, Total Energies, Preem, Repsol and Fortum - were reviewed by DeSmog on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Two-thirds of the advertisements analyzed promote false climate solutions (e.g. underground CO2 storage) - or emphasize projects green(wash) irrelevant to the core business of the '6 sisters'.
Il greenwashing by ENI
Just 8% of ENI's analyzed ads promote fossil fuels, although these make up about 80% of its portfolio. 55% of Eni's ads concern products green and false climate solutions.
16% of advertisements of Eni valued in reporting. promotes as 'green' and 'sustainable' solutions that of green they have nothing at all. As the 'bioenergy', fossil gas and CCS (CO2 capture and storage technology).
The European Citizens' Initiative
Greenpeace and over 20 organizations (1) have launched a European Citizens' Initiative, namely an 'EU referendum'. If within a year the target of 1 million signatures collected in at least 7 member countries is reached, the European Commission will have to express itself on the Citizens' Initiative, setting out its legal and political conclusions and any action it intends to take. undertake.
This initiative aspires to get the European Commission to propose an EU regulation prohibiting:
- advertising of fossil fuels and of air, road and inland waterway transport services using fossil fuels, with the exception of transport services of general economic interest,
- advertising of any company active in the fossil fuel market, in particular in the context of their extraction, refining, supply, distribution or sale,
- sponsorships by companies active in the fossil fuel market or the use of trademarks or trade names used for fossil fuels.
Why and how to participate
The EU ban which is required would allow to pursue the objectives of environmental and consumer protection, as indicated in Green Deal European Union and the Sustainable Development Goals (Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs). In addition to raising public awareness of the products and technologies responsible for climate change and other damage, environmental and health.
To subscribe the European Citizens' Initiative: click here.
# Égalité!
Giulia Torre
Note
(1) The organizations that support the European Citizens' Initiative are ActionAid, Adfree Cities, Air Clim, Avaaz, Badvertising, BoMiasto.pl, Ecologistas en Acción, ClientEarth, Europe Beyond Coal, FOCSIV, Food and Water Action Europe, Friends of the Earth Europe, Fundación Renovables, Gastivists, Global Witness, Greenpeace, New Weather Institute Sweden, Plataforma por un Nuevo Modelo Energético, Résistance à l'Agression Publicitaire, Reclame, Fossielvrij, ReCommon, Stop Funding Heat, Social Tipping Point Coalitie, Zero (Associação Terrestrial System Sustentável).
Graduated in law, master in European Food Law, she deals with agro-food, veterinary and agricultural legislation.
