The Hague has become the first city in the world to ban advertising for fossil fuel products and high-carbon services, including cruise ships and air travel.

The Dutch city's local council passed the law on Friday morning, which will come into force on January 1, 2025. The decision followed calls from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for governments to scrap such advertising, similar to anti-tobacco efforts that began in the 1960s.

“The Hague wants to be climate neutral by 2030. It would not make sense to allow advertising of fossil fuel products then,” said Leonie Gerritsen, a city councillor from the Party for Animals. Gerritsen was one of the supporters of the new local law.

The Hague is the capital of the Netherlands, home to the country's parliament, ministries and supreme court. It is also home to key international organisations such as the UN's highest court, the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Court and the European Union's law enforcement agency Europol.

The Hague's latest move could inspire other cities and governments to follow suit, said Femke Sleegers, coordinator of the Dutch climate change group Fossil Free Advertising, which was among the initiators of the local ban.

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