Abdul Matin Sarfraz, Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative
Toronto City council rejects a motion that would have banned fossil fuel advertising on all city-owned property, ending a year-long campaign led by Coun. Dianne Saxe and advocates to align municipal advertising policy with Toronto’s climate goals.
The motion was defeated late Thursday night in a decisive 19–2 vote, with council choosing a weaker approach focused on public education and greenwashing guidelines instead.
Saxe told Canada’s National Observer she was “disappointed” by the result. She said given the urgency of the climate crisis and the risks of misleading fossil fuel ads, it’s not in the public interest for the City to allow such advertising.
“It is contrary to the best interests of the people of Toronto for the City or its agencies and corporations to display fossil fuel advocacy advertising inconsistent with TransformTO on city assets, especially if the claims in such advertising have not been substantiated.”
Saxe first brought forward the proposal in fall 2024, in response to public outcry over fossil fuel advocacy ads appearing on public transit. City council directed staff to develop a policy that would decline fossil fuel ads unless they were consistent with TransformTO(the city’s net-zero target for 2040) and met strict advertising standards under the Competition Act.
But the staff report fell far short of that level of ambition. Instead of developing policy analysis proposing a ban, it recommended only that advertisers be required to sign a greenwashing declaration and the city incorporate more climate messaging into its own campaigns.
City staff said they needed more time to do that work, and the few months since the motion passed were not enough to complete a full legal and policy review.
The motion was defeated late Thursday night in a decisive 19–2 vote, with council choosing a weaker approach focused on public education and greenwashing guidelines instead.
Saxe said the motion council passed last year gave staff two clear tasks: to review greenwashing and, more importantly, to examine whether the city should accept fossil fuel advertising.
“The staff completely ducked that,” she said. “They did one poorly and didn’t do the other at all. They didn’t follow the direction the council gave them.”
In the final debate last night, Saxe tried to send the report back and asked staff to develop a full fossil fuel advertising ban policy, but the majority of councillors voted against it.
A city spokesperson said fossil fuel advocacy ads will now follow the new policy outlined in the staff report.
Councillor James Pasternak opposed the motion, arguing determining false or misleading advertising is a complex legal issue that falls under federal jurisdiction. He said the city should not take on work that is better handled by the Competition Bureau.
“If people have complaints, let them go to the feds and file them there if they don’t like the advertising,” he said
The report noted the financial impact of restricting fossil fuel advocacy advertising would be minimal, as such ads make up a very small portion of the city’s overall advertising revenue — a share expected to shrink further with new federal greenwashing rules.
Cities in Canada and abroad curb fossil fuel ads
Last year, Toronto became the first city in Canada to take action against fossil fuel greenwashing when its public transit agency voted to ban misleading fossil fuel ads from its vehicles and properties. The motion was led by Saxe, who also sits on the agency board. Montreal quickly followed, with its transit agency STM and bike-share program Bixi removing similar ads over greenwashing concerns.
Globally, The Hague became the first city in the world to pass a local law banning fossil fuel and high-carbon service ads, including for cruise ships and air travel. Dutch courts upheld the ban, citing public health and environmental interests.
More than 45 cities globally — including Amsterdam, Edinburgh, and Sydney — have since taken similar steps. The UN Secretary-General António Guterres also called for a global ban on fossil fuel advertising.
Health and climate advocates express disappointment
Environmental and public health groups voiced frustration with Toronto council’s decision and the city staff report. The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) submitted a petition with more than 1,100 signatures calling for a full ban.
Anne Keary, Ontario coordinator for CAPE, said the city’s focus on greenwashing was too narrow. “Fossil fuels are the primary driver of climate change, and the cause of extreme heat and worsening air quality that’s already harming Torontonians — especially the most vulnerable,” she said.
Keary said the staff recommendations fell short by ignoring the fossil fuel industry’s broader promotion tactics. She warned that even if greenwashing is curbed, companies will simply shift strategies — such as framing fossil fuels as essential for affordability — while continuing to drive up costs and cause serious harm to health and the environment.
“We banned tobacco ads because of health harms,” Keary told Canada’s National Observer. “It’s time to do the same for fossil fuels, which are the greatest threat to human health today.”
Toronto has faced record-breaking heat, flooding, and wildfire smoke this summer — events linked to climate change. The city’s Board of Health approved a plan early this month to track related health impacts, including heat-related illness, poor air quality and disease from ticks and mosquitoes.
Lyn Adamson, co-chair of ClimateFast, said the City of Toronto needs to send a consistent message if it’s serious about meeting its climate targets. She said allowing fossil fuel advertising on city property undercuts efforts to cut emissions and undermines public education about the urgency of the climate crisis.
She said the city council must align its advertising policy with its climate and public health goals.
Under council rules, the issue cannot be brought back for reconsideration for at least a year. With the 2026 municipal election on the horizon, it’s unclear when — or if — Toronto will revisit the idea of banning fossil fuel ads on city property.
“I’ll keep pushing,” Saxe said. “But as this vote showed, unless the mayor supports it, it’s very hard to get it done.”
