The May 2026 local elections have seen a wave of new politicians enter London’s Borough councils. Many were elected on a platform of a radical Green vision for the city, including three Green Mayors (in Hackney, Lewisham and Waltham Forest). While the Mayor of London, Sir Sadiq Khan, won’t have to defend his position in an election until 2028, this will increase pressure on Khan to deliver on his progressive credentials.
Is it time for a high carbon ad ban?
One visionary move that the Mayor will be considering is banning the advertisement of the most polluting products on the Transport for London (TfL) advertising estate. Today, adverts for airlines, cars and fossil fuels are a common sight in the capital’s transport system: glaring out of bus stops, pasted alongside railways, and lining the inside of tube carriages.
Not only does this kind of advertising promote and encourage carbon-intensive lifestyles, it provides a platform for polluting companies to influence political decision-making. Fossil fuel companies have been known to rent all the ad space in Westminster underground station – using a technique called ‘station domination’ to beam their brand directly into the eyes of government decision makers in Whitehall. But campaigners and London Assembly Members have been sounding the alarm for several years – and Labour-held Camden council committed to a low-carbon advertising policy in their 2026-2030 manifesto.
The change we propose for TfL would be as simple as to add a clause to their Advertising Policy, which already lists several categories of advertising that are prohibited across the network. Prohibiting advertising for the most harmful fossil fuelled products, including airlines, cars, and fossil fuels themselves, would be in line with London’s goals for public health and the environment.
It appears a natural step for the Mayor to take – after all, in 2019, Khan introduced the flagship Healthier Food Advertising Policy on the Transport for London network “to improve children’s health and address health inequalities”, a measure that has since proven effective in reducing the consumption of unhealthy foods. He has also famously spearheaded a mission to clean up the city’s air, implementing an ambitious Ultra-Low Emissions Zone despite political mudslinging.
So what’s next?
Since the Mayor introduced his popular policy to end junk food advertising, calls for a high carbon ad ban have intensified. Secretary-General of the UN, Antonio Guterres, said in a June 2024 speech, “I urge every country to ban advertising from fossil fuel companies”.
Policies to restrict polluting ads have been implemented in UK in cities including Edinburgh and Sheffield. In a move that TfL might aspire to, Västtrafik, a major public transport operator in Sweden’s second most populous county, Västra Götaland, declared an end to fossil fuel advertising on its transport networks in 2025.
And just this month (May 2026), Amsterdam’s ban on polluting advertising via a local ordinance (byelaw) has come into force, including fossil fuel products like flights, cars and cruises, as well as meat and dairy products.
What has the Mayor of London said about it so far?
| 25th February 2019 | The Mayor of London introduces the Healthier Food Advertising Policy on the Transport for London network, banning ads that promote foods high in fat, sugar and salt. (Source) |
| 16th May 2019 | “TfL is looking at how it can ensure that its advertising estate is not used by those that have the most detrimental impact on the environment and will keep this under review.” Sadiq Khan, in response to Green Assembly Member (AM) Caroline Russell. (Source) |
| November 2022 | An open letter to TfL from campaigners highlights that the advertising of cars on TfL’s estate works against its commercial interests, which involve increasing trips by public transport – and that advertising for airlines works against its environment goals. The letter highlights data from a Freedom of Information request that advertising for airlines and cars make up just 0.1% of TfL’s revenue; and calls for TfL’s Advertising Policy to be amended to exclude these product categories. (Source) |
| May 2023 | Legal advice from 39 Essex Chambers, aimed at councils considering high carbon ad bans, concludes: “the legal risks of adopting a high-carbon advertising ban are limited and the prospect of a successful challenge low”; and “The design of a policy lies within the discretion of each local authority”. (Source) |
| 20th June 2024 | London AM Zack Polanski uses City Hall Mayor’s Question Time to highlight the speech by Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, urging countries to ban fossil fuel advertising. In his response, Khan says he “will continue to work with TfL on their approach to advertising on their network to ensure it supports my ambition for London to be net zero by 2030”. (Source) |
| 10th October 2024 | “Once we have a system where we can make decisions that are clear, like we did with foods high in fats, sugar, and salt, like we do with other issues, of course we will try to move, but there is not that certainty because of the lack of clarity”. Sadiq Khan, in response to Green Assembly Member Caroline Russell (Source) |
| November 2024 | C40 Cities, of which Sadiq Khan is a co-chair and London is a member, issues advice for cities to restrict advertising for fossil fuels and high carbon industries. (Source) |
23rd July 2025 | Legal advice published from 11KBW Chambers finds that a current lack of national-level guidance on what constitutes ‘high-carbon advertising’ should not be an obstacle to Transport for London adopting a low-carbon advertising policy. (Source) |
| November 2025 | Badvertising takes over Southwark underground station with spoof ads calling for Transport for London to stop promoting polluting industries. (Source) |
| 20th November 2025 | “I would urge the Government and the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) to consider issuing national guidance on this issue. I am happy to go away and look at whether the TfL Advertising Policy that she refers to should be reviewed. It is not an issue of finance. It is an issue of practicalities”. Sadiq Khan, in response to Green Assembly Member Caroline Russell (Source) |
“Issue of practicalities”
It appears that the Mayor is edging closer towards accepting the calls for a high-carbon ad ban. But he is seemingly using the lack of national guidance as a reason to delay action, claiming it is “not an issue of finance. It is an issue of practicalities”. Legal advice and examples of other cities implementing fossil ad bans has shown this need not be the case – TfL could implement their own policy at any time.
Perhaps the new political terrain following the May elections will be the push the Mayor needs. In 2026, it’s time for Sadiq Khan and TfL to join the growing wave of cities who have taken back control of their advertising space from polluters.
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