Spain becomes first country to ban petrol advertisements
Petrol or diesel adverts will not be allowed unless the product contains some non-fossil ingredient such as biofuel, according to a draft bill announced on Tuesday by consumer affairs minister, Pablo Bustinduy.
The new legislative package is aimed at tackling 'greenwashing', with a ban on any type of advertising for energy products from companies in the oil and gas sector composed exclusively of fossil fuel derivatives, without the use of renewable components.
There will be no minimum requirement for the amount of green petrol or diesel that will allow companies to avoid the advertising ban, The Telegraph understands.
The draft sustainable consumption Bill will also transpose into Spanish law an EU directive on empowering consumers faced by confusing and ambiguous green claims by companies.
At the start of this year The Hague became the first city in the world to ban billboard advertisements for fossil fuels and related products, including combustion-engine cars, air travel and cruise ship holidays.
The Dutch city's ban responded to a call by UN secretary-general António Guterres to ban advertising by fossil fuel companies, just as ads for tobacco have been prohibited almost everywhere in the world.
A Dutch trade association for travel companies and tourism company TUI mounted a legal challenge against The Hague city council's ban but it was upheld by a court.
The argument against the ban was that it infringed on freedom of speech and entrepreneurship, but a court in The Hague ruled that citizens' right to health is more important than the commercial interests of advertisers.
The Spanish government's draft legislation also takes aim at generic environmental claims in advertising, meaning companies will have to justify the use of slogans such as 'environmentally-friendly', 'green', 'climate-friendly' and 'energy-efficient'.
Sustainability labels will have to be based on certification systems and companies will not be able to make carbon emissions claims based solely on the supposed impact of offset programmes.
Consumer minister, Pablo Bustinduy, said on Tuesday that the law would also 'put an end to built-in obsolescence by giving consumers the right to have electrical goods repaired and extending the length of guarantees'.
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