The Dutch city Haarlem became the first in the world to ban meat adverts from public spaces in an effort to reduce consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Haarlem, which lies to the west of Amsterdam and has a population of about 160,000, will enact the prohibition from 2024 after meat was added to a list of products deemed to contribute to the climate crisis. Adverts are not allowed anymore on Haarlem’s buses, shelters and screens in public spaces, prompting complaints from the meat sector that the municipality is “going too far in telling people what’s best for them”. The ban also covers holiday flights, fossil fuels and cars that run on fossil fuels. The ban is delayed until 2024 due to existing contracts with companies that sell the products. There is some opposition within Haarlem’s council to the move, with critics arguing that it restricts freedom of expression.
But this story is not over: On the 5th of September 2022, the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands became the first city in the world to ban meat adverts for environmental reasons. On the 12th of September 2022, La Vie became the first plant-based meat brand to advertise in Haarlem.
Recent studies suggest global food production is responsible for one-third of all planet-heating emissions, with the use of animals for meat accounting for twice the pollution of producing plant-based foods. Greenpeace research suggests that to meet the EU target of net zero emissions by 2050, meat consumption must be reduced to 24kg per person per year, compared with the current average of 82kg, or 75.8kg in the Netherlands, which is the EU’s biggest meat exporter.
Information by The Guardian