Genoa’s city council voted on Tuesday to ban fossil fuel advertising in public spaces, making the port city Italy’s second municipality to formally take that step. The motion passed with 23 votes in favor and 14 opposed.
The ban covers ads for fossil-fuel-based products with a high carbon footprint. Francesca Ghio, who backed the motion, said it would free bus stops and train stations from advertising that normalizes practices harmful to the public interest, people’s health and the climate.
Andrea Sbarbaro called the vote “proud” and said the region is known for its vulnerability and the frequency of extreme weather events. For him, removing fossil fuel ads from public spaces is not symbolic but a necessary move toward lifestyle models that fit the safety and long-term future of the community.
Genoa followed Florence, which became the first Italian city to adopt a similar ban just months earlier. The move also places the city within a wider push that has gained momentum across Europe and beyond, with more than 50 cities either restricting fossil fuel ads in specific areas or formally considering limits.
Several cities, including municipalities in the Netherlands, Stockholm, Edinburgh and Sydney, have already banned fossil fuel advertising outright. In 2024, The Hague became the first city in the world to ban ads promoting high-carbon services such as cruise ships and air travel, while Spain could become the first country to impose a nationwide ban after its government approved a draft bill last year.
The campaign has also drawn support from the top of the United Nations. UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called for fossil fuel advertising to be banned the way tobacco ads were restricted, saying the industry has used greenwashing, lobbying, legal threats and huge ad campaigns to delay climate action. 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.
The fight now is no longer whether cities can move on fossil fuel advertising. It is how quickly the next ones follow, and whether national governments catch up before local bans become the standard.
For readers tracking the pace of change across Europe, the debate lands in the same climate-heavy news cycle as Amsterdam coverage on other fronts, including Ajax Vs Psv: Eredivisie Leaders Visit Amsterdam With Title Pressure Rising.
