Outdoor advertising that promotes coal, oil and gas could soon be banned from hundreds of Sydney buildings and public spaces if the City of Sydney council vote on Monday night, 22nd August, moves to restrict all fossil fuel ads. The vote comes days after QMS officially launched its new City of Sydney street furniture network. The outcome is not yet known. (they voted yes - ed)
Outdoor ads for oil and gas producers Santos (above) and Woodside (below)
 |
| "We see through this whitewashing": Dep. Lord Mayor Jess Scully |
Deputy Lord Mayor of the City of Sydney Jess Scully said the influence wielded by fossil fuel companies - which spend millions annually on advertising in Australia - has contributed to Australia's lack of action on climate change.
"This is about drawing a line in the sand, saying no more, we see through this whitewashing, we see through the marketing spin," Cr Scully told ABC Radio Sydney. "Air pollution from burning fossil fuels takes 8.7 million lives prematurely each year — worse than tobacco.”
Scully was scheduled to present a motion at Monday's 22nd August council meeting that calls for an investigation into restricting fossil fuel ads and sponsorship deals.
The real estate controlled by City of Sydney — including billboards, bus shelters and street furniture — is the "jewel in the crown" of Australia's advertising space, according to Comms Declare - a group of 300 marketing, public relations, advertising and media professionals - one of the organisations behind a campaign to stop advertising by fossil fuel companies.
Yarra and Moreland councils in Melbourne are also considering a ban on fossil fuel ads.
The council vote comes days after outdoor advertiser QMS last week officially launched its new City of Sydney street furniture network.
“For the first time, the City of Sydney can be bought as one iconic 26 square kilometre powerhouse, reaching 2.6 million people a week, two-thirds of whom live right across the Greater Sydney region,” said QMS Chief Customer Officer, Mark Fairhurst.
90% of QMS’ new City of Sydney advertising inventory is digital. “Powered by 100% GreenPower energy, the network is optimised for visibility and attention, with 86-inch panel displays being both bigger and brighter,” QMS said.
QMS CEO John O’Neill added: “The new QMS City of Sydney network is built to enhance the overall experience of the Sydney CBD and its growing surrounding suburbs each and every day. The 800+ panel network will give the City of Sydney’s community a suite of DDA compliant public infrastructure that is built to last.”
In June 2020, QMS won an exclusive 10-year contract, plus a further five-year option, to create a network of street furniture for the City of Sydney. The agreement includes a newly designed suite of bus shelters, kiosks, public toilets, seats and bins replace the current furniture, most of which has been in place since 1997.
The City of Sydney comprises 33 suburbs: Alexandria, Annandale, Barangaroo, Beaconsfield, Camperdown, Centennial Park, Chippendale, Darlinghurst, Darlington, Dawes Point, Elizabeth Bay, Erskineville, Eveleigh, Forest Lodge, Glebe, Haymarket, Millers Point, Moore Park, Newtown, Paddington, Potts Point, Pyrmont, Redfern, Rosebery, Rushcutters Bay, St Peters, Surry Hills, Sydney, The Rocks, Ultimo, Waterloo, Woolloomooloo and Zetland.
The outcome of the vote will be published in Wide Format Online's newsletter on Thursday, if known. (The vote was yes, more on Thursday)
