Bad ads banned by medical mag

The British Medical Journal (BMJ) has become the first major publication in the world to announce it will no longer accept advertisements from banks that fund fossil fuels.

As a result of the policy, advertising by several major UK high street banks, including Barclays, HSBC, NatWest, Santander and Lloyds, who all finance the fossil fuel industry, will not be permitted across the BMJ’s publications.

Dr Hilary Neve, GP, Plymouth has long campaigned to stop Barclays ads being placed in the BMJ. They told The Ecologist:  “So many organisations declare a climate emergency but then do not act in accordance with this. 

Funder

“As doctors we see the devastating impact that our heating world has on people’s health and know that banks like Barclays that fund fossil fuels are a big part of this. We are pleased that the BMJ listened to us and has now banned adverts for these banks. We hope many other organisations will follow their lead”.

Veronica Wignall, from the campaign group Adfree Cities, said: “We welcome the BMJ’s principled step to prevent major banks like Barclays from health-washing their public image while they continue to funnel billions into the world’s worst polluters.

“Bans on advertising for fossil fuel companies are becoming commonplace, to  remove misinformation and protect the environment and our health. By the same logic we need to see an end to advertising for the financial institutions that are bankrolling climate breakdown.”

The announcement builds on the publication’s decision in 2020 to exclude advertisements from fossil fuel companies, on the grounds that advertising such companies is incompatible with global health priorities.

The BMJ stated in its editorial: “We will now strengthen our advertising policy further, following criticisms from readers that we carried advertising in our weekly print edition for Barclays Bank, a major funder of the fossil fuel industry. 

Finance