Haarlem, a Dutch city, will become the first city in the world to ban meat advertisements in public spaces. The measure will take effect in 2024 and will be part of an effort to reduce meat consumption, with the aim of combating the climate crisis.
The move follows the addition of meat to a list of elements contributing to the climate crisis, according to The Guardian, as livestock are responsible for producing large amounts of methane gas, which greatly contributes to the greenhouse effect. .
The city of Haarlem is west of Amsterdam in the Netherlands and has a population of 160,000. Advertising on urban buses, stops and screens in public spaces will be prohibited. The measure also covers advertising for vacation flights, fossil fuels and cars that use them. The measure will only come into force in 2024, due to existing contracts with companies that market these products.
From the side of the meat sector, criticism has already arrived, accusing the municipality of “going too far in telling people what is best for them”. But the councilor responsible for the proposal told local radio, quoted by the British daily, as saying: “We cannot tell people there is a climate crisis and encourage them to buy products that are part of their cause,” said Ziggy Klazes.
According to Greenpeace, for the European Union to meet the goal of zero emissions by 2050, meat consumption must go from the current average of 82 kilograms per person per year to 24 kilograms. In the Netherlands the current figure is 75.8 kilos and the country is the largest exporter of meat in the EU.
Source: Observadora
