Governments require the ads of products to warn consumers of the negative effects of their products. France is now intending to bring such measures to the automotive industry, forcing carmakers to include messages about greener transport alternatives in their ads, as reported by CTV News.
This is supposed to be implemented from March 1st. The legislation is the outcome of years of lobbying from French environmental groups. The law requires the mention of one of three statements in any given advert. Roughly translated, these are “For short journeys, walk or cycle,” as well as “think about carpooling” and “Take public transport daily.”
The messages must be in print, online, or broadcast on radio or TV advertising. The messages must be clearly visible on screen, or in the case of radio ads, be spoken aloud after the ad is finished. A hashtag, #SeDéplacerMoinsPolluer, is also required to be displayed in certain contexts, which translates to “Move without pollution.” Fines for non-compliance can range up to €50,000.
It’s part of a wider push to cut down on transport emissions in France, with private cars making up a full 15 percent of the country’s greenhouse gas output. The country has already pledged to end the sale of gas and diesel-powered cars by 2040. Paris has banned older, more polluting vehicles from the city center.
Speaking on the legislation, the Minister for the Ecological Transition of France, Barbara Pompili, highlighted that a multi-pronged approach was required to clean up transport. “Decarbonizing transport is not just switching to electric vehicles. It also means using, when possible, public transport or cycling,” Pompili tweeted on Wednesday.
This measure is expected to make the consumers more informed and encourage them to make green choices in transport.
