The Irish Cycling Campaign’s initiative to prohibit or reduce fossil fuel advertising has moved forward a significant step with today’s Earth Day promotion by Paul Murphy TD of his Bill.

Deputy Murphy’s Bill was initially published last month. It seeks to prohibit the advertising of any fossil fuels, and any land vehicle or aircraft using fossil fuel. The way our transport system is skewed towards the use of cars, the dominance of our roads by car use, and the huge health detriments of our sedentary lifestyle and chronic car dependence are all worsened by advertising.

To quote Deputy Murphy, ‘Once you start to notice it, it is striking just how much car advertising there is: how many advertisements you see on TV are for cars; how many billboards are for car advertisements; and how much sponsorship of popular TV programmes, such as “The Late Late Show”, is from car manufacturers. There is evidence this has a direct link to the lack of media coverage of climate change, a topic, for example, that “The Late Late Show” has barely covered in all its years of showcasing shiny new cars. Last year in Ireland the number of new fossil-fuelled cars increased by 10% to more than 99,000’.

So some restriction on the ability of the motor industry to spend tens of millions in the Irish market would bring huge benefits to society. Action is long overdue.

The Bill’s already passed the first stage in the Oireachtas and received significant news coverage, such as the following:

1. Newstalk article gives an overview — https://www.newstalk.com/news/time-for-tobacco-style-ban-on-fossil-fuel-car-advertisements-pbp-1651055 
2. RTÉ interview about it (17 mins) – https://www.rte.ie/radio/radio1/clips/22366061/ 
3. Public poll in Journal.ie (Bill wasn’t very popular!): https://www.thejournal.ie/should-there-be-a-ban-on-fossil-fuel-advertising-6320804-Mar2024/ 

Attending the press release at Buswells Hotel today was (centre of photograph) the Campaign’s Board Member Mary Sinnott, who worked to bring the issue to the attention of Deputy Murphy and team, filmmaker and activist Peadar King and Dr. Seán Owens, whose campaigning work focusses on the devastating effects of climate change on public health. Deputy Bríd Smith is on the far left, beside Deputy Murphy.

We understand that Sinn Féin also have a Bill, promoted by Senator Lynn Boylan aimed at restricting fossil fuel lobbying and (as an apolitical advocacy group) the Campaign will be glad to work with any body seeking to improve our transport choices, improve road safety, reduce air and noise pollution, and of course to limit climate change.

Reflecting on the Bill, Mary told the press conference,

‘Irish road transportation contributes 94% of transport-related greenhouse gases.Restricting fossil fuel product advertising will rebalance consumer choice towards sustainable modes of transport. It will reflect our national commitment to reduce our CO2 emissions by 2030, and to phase them out by 2050. Those committments we are already behind on.’

Mary quoted the poem “Begin” by Brendan Kenneally:

Though we live in a world that dreams of ending
that always seems about to give in
something that will not acknowledge conclusion
insists that we forever begin