Copenhagen Bans Advertising for Flights, Cruises and Petrol Cars on Municipal Billboards

Copenhagen fossil fuel advertising ban, Digi Mart USA News (Copenhagen, Denmark): Politicians in Copenhagen have decided they no longer want to carry advertising for air travel. A majority in the Copenhagen Municipal Council recently approved a ban on so-called fossil advertising on the municipality’s own advertising surfaces.

According to Danish broadcaster DR, the decision was made last week. The ban covers advertising for flights, cruise trips and new petrol and hybrid cars, and applies to municipal advertising surfaces such as bus shelters and buildings.

Politicians also want such advertisements removed from the metro. Karoline Lindgaard, political leader of the Alternativet party in Copenhagen, told DR that residents are confronted daily with advertising that sells flights, cruises and new petrol cars as freedom, adventure and the good life.

She argued that the municipality should not make public advertising space available for products that contribute to increased climate emissions.

The ban will not take effect everywhere immediately. The municipality must first negotiate with existing advertising partners.

The decision has already drawn reactions from Danish business. Dansk Industri considers the ban mainly symbolic and questions whether it will actually produce any climate effect.

Peter Lanng Nielsen, chairman of Dansk Industri Hovedstaden, told DR that he regrets symbolic measures that do not necessarily have a documented climate effect. He also fears that other product groups could be hit by similar advertising bans in the future.

The question of fossil advertising has also been raised in Norway. In September 2026, the Oslo city council voted down a proposal to restrict advertising for flights, cruises, petrol cars and oil companies on municipal advertising surfaces.

According to KOM24, only MDG, SV and Rødt supported the proposals.

Meanwhile, a proposal for a national ban on advertising for fossil energy has been put forward in the Storting. The issue of fossil advertising may therefore also become relevant in Norway, although Oslo has so far chosen a different path than Copenhagen.