Bristol city councillors voted to expand a 2021 advertising policy to include fast fashion, oil and gas companies, petrol and diesel cars, SUVs, airlines, airports, and cruises on council-owned sites like bus stops. The move makes Bristol the first UK city to target fashion advertising for environmental reasons, citing the textile sector's 2-10% share of global carbon emissions and microplastic pollution. Similar bans in Sheffield and Edinburgh have not reduced ad revenue, and Bristol's own junk food ban saw no financial loss despite projected shortfalls. The policy is part of a broader push by over 20 UK councils and cities like Amsterdam and The Hague to restrict high-carbon advertising in public spaces. Industry groups, including TotalEnergies and JCDecaux, have lobbied against such bans in other countries, but Bristol's decision signals growing local momentum to align public advertising with climate goals.
