"As the campaign to lump fossil fuels in with tobacco advertising gathers pace in Europe, how will companies and policymakers respond?"
"BRUSSELS - A push for a Europe-wide ban on advertising and sponsorship by fossil fuel companies is the boldest salvo yet in a campaign by environmentalists who accuse oil firms of "greenwashing" and a history of undermining climate change science.
Just as the tobacco industry was punished with publicity bans amid allegations it concealed the harmful effects of smoking, Greenpeace and 20 other green groups are demanding an end to ads for coal, oil and gas firms, carmakers and airlines.
"The fossil fuel firms also copied the smoking companies' strategies when they fed into climate denial," said Bas Eickhout, the Dutch Green MEP and vice-chair of the European Parliament's environment committee.
"It's time we copied what was done with cigarette ads."
Greenpeace and 20 other green groups launched the "European Citizens Initiative" in a bid to haul down ads for businesses linked to climate-warming fossil fuels - whether online, in newspapers or on billboards."
Arthur Neslen reports for Thomson Reuters Foundation October 5, 2021.
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