Genoa approves fossil fuel ad ban by 23 votes to 14, Amsterdam
Genoa’s City Council approved a ban on fossil fuel advertising in public spaces on Tuesday, making the Italian city the second in the country to adopt such a rule. The vote passed 23 to 14 and puts bus stops, train stations and other public spaces inside the scope of the new limit.
Francesca Ghio, the Genoa city councillor who led the motion, said supporting the measure means freeing daily public spaces from advertisements that normalize harmful practices. The decision comes months after Florence became the first Italian city to adopt a similar ban.
Genoa council vote
The motion covers fossil-fuel based products with a high carbon footprint. Ghio said, “Advertising plays a crucial role in shaping public perception and consumer habits. Supporting this motion means freeing the places we encounter in our daily lives—such as bus stops and train stations—from advertisements that normalize practices harmful to the public interest, people’s health, and the climate,” tying the council vote directly to the spaces residents use every day.
Andrea Sbarbaro, president of Cittadini Sostenibili, said he was “proud” of the decision and added, “Our region is sadly known for its vulnerability and the frequency of extreme weather events. Freeing our public spaces from fossil fuel advertising is not merely a symbolic gesture: it’s a vital step in promoting lifestyle models that align with the safety and the long-term future of our community,” linking the ban to the region’s exposure to severe weather.
Italy and other cities
Genoa’s move places the city in a wider shift. More than 50 cities have either restricted fossil fuel advertising in specific areas or tabled motions to introduce formal limits, while several Dutch municipalities, Stockholm, Edinburgh and Sydney have already banned it altogether. In 2024, The Hague became the first city in the world to ban advertisements promoting high-carbon services such as cruise ships and air travel.
Last year, Spain’s government approved a draft bill that would prohibit advertising of fossil fuels, fossil-fuel-powered vehicles and short-haul flights where more sustainable rail alternatives exist. The Genoa vote goes further than a debate over billboards alone; it reaches into ordinary transit spaces where commuters, shoppers and tourists see ads every day.
Guterres and White
UN Secretary-General António Guterres called on countries to ban fossil fuel advertising in the same way they restricted tobacco, saying, “Many in the fossil fuel industry have shamelessly greenwashed, even as they have sought to delay climate action – with lobbying, legal threats, and massive ad campaigns. They have been aided and abetted by advertising and PR companies – Mad Men fuelling the madness,” in a 2024 speech. Johnny White said, “Banning fossil fuel advertising and forcing the PR sector to cut ties with systemically polluting companies is a clear necessity for building a cleaner and fairer future,” and added, “We can either have a rapid transition away from fossil fuels, or we can have fossil fuel industry influence continuing to permeate our societies and subvert climate action. We can’t have both.”
For Genoa, the immediate effect is practical: the city’s public spaces now sit inside a formal advertising restriction that targets fossil-fuel messaging, not just a broad climate pledge. Florence set the precedent in Italy, but Genoa’s 23-14 vote gives the issue a larger municipal foothold as other cities weigh whether to follow the same route.
