Big win! Amsterdam bans meat advertising in public spaces

From May 2026 onwards, ads featuring burgers, chicken wings, and beef will no longer be visible on the streets of Amsterdam. With this major decision, Amsterdam becomes the first capital city in the world to introduce such a regulation in order to promote more plant-based diets and help tackle the climate crisis. Because how can we stop the polluting practices of the livestock industry if we continue to normalise them through advertisements at the bus stop?

For Foodrise, this is an important achievement in our campaigning work over the past couple of years. To have a serious chance of responding to the climate crisis and improving public health, we need to reduce animal numbers and promote plant-based alternatives. The global livestock sector is estimated to be responsible for between 12% and 19% of total human-caused climate emissions, making it one of the world’s highest-emitting sectors. The current industrial scale of meat and dairy production poses a serious threat to both planet and people.

Together with other NGOs, we’ve actively driven the protein agenda, working to steer the Netherlands towards a more plant-based future. We see enormous potential: farmers shifting to plant-based production, consumers discovering new alternatives, and policies aligning with climate goals. The advertising ban brings that future one step closer to reality and helps turning ambition into action.