The Finnish capital follows Amsterdam and other cities in voting for strict bans on OoH advertising for fossil fuels and carbon-intensive products.
International OoH: Helsinki Bans Fossil Fuel Outdoor Advertising
Helsinki is the latest European city to ban the use of its public spaces for any advertising connected to fossil fuels or fossil fuel-related products or industries. This was reported by Euronews early in October.
The City Council approved the proposal on 9 October 2026. The resolution came after eight months of deliberations and referrals to the City Board and other stakeholders. The motion asked the councilors to “investigate the possibility of restricting the advertising of fossil fuels, taking an example from Stockholm and The Hague.”
A legislative trend in European cities
The Hague and Stockholm are just two among many European cities that have preceded Helsinki in passing similar resolutions. While The Hague has the distinction of being the first municipality in the world to adopt such a comprehensive ban against high-carbon advertising and sponsorships, Amsterdam is perhaps most prominent example. The Dutch capital imposed its ban in May 2026, overriding protests from the private sector.
Other than Amsterdam, The Hague and now Helsinki, over 50 European municipal authorities have imposed comparable bans, including Utrecht, Amsterdam, Edinburgh, Florence, Bristol, Coventry, Gothenburg and several districts within Belgium’s Brussels-Capital Region.
The resolutions vary quite widely in scope. The Hague and Stockholm, for example, specifically targeted direct fossil energy products. Edinburgh and Bristol went further by screening out major industries downstream from the oil and gas sector, such as airlines, airports, cruise operators and car brands. Amsterdam has added a ban on meat advertising in support of its 2050 food-emission goals.
Delayed implementation
It is not yet certain where Helsinki will be positioned on this spectrum. The city will only publish its list of restrictions sometime before the expiry of its current advertising contracts in 2035. This sets the Finnish capital apart from other European cities. Whereas The Hague and Amsterdam imposed their bans with immediate effect, Helsinki is prepared to wait almost a decade before implementing its resolution. As invidis understands, Helsinki holds OoH contracts with Outshine and Keskisuomalainen at the moment.
The main reason for the delay appears to be financial. The final decision was held back by discussions about “the effects of a potential advertising ban on the city’s finances.” The Council noted that the total value of current outdoor advertising contracts is nearly €100 million, and that the impact of the ban on the city coffers “would run into millions, or even tens of millions of euros.” Considering this financial uncertainty, the council ultimately adopted the resolution but decided to hold off on its implementation.
It seems certain that Helsinki will not be the last city to ban fossil fuel advertising. Several major municipalities around the world, including Toronto and Liverpool, among others, are currently in active stages of deliberation, policy drafting or legal review on high-carbon advertising restrictions.