BP, Shell, Exxon and Chevron are all in the top 25 on the list of companies responsible for over half of global CO2 emissions since 1988 (1). They knew their actions would cause climate breakdown and impact communities across the world (2). But that didn’t stop them. They continue to dig up and burn fossil fuels to this day.

They are also among the fossil fuel companies that put millions into Facebook advertising every year. These companies run ads on everything from lobbying politicians and advertising petrol stations to promoting graduate schemes and boasting about renewable energy efforts. 

Facebook says it is committed to fighting climate change (3) - but its willingness to accept money from the companies causing climate breakdown says otherwise.

We want Facebook to change their rules. There’s a precedent: another destructive industry is already banned from running ads on Facebook. Facebook doesn’t allow any ads promoting “the sale or use of tobacco products and related paraphernalia”. A similar ban on companies that burn fossil fuels and destroy the planet seems like a logical next step. You can't advertise tobacco or guns on Facebook - so why can you still promote coal-burning businesses?

The ads by fossil fuel companies often promote their efforts to move their business towards renewable and clean energy sources. Maybe you’ve seen some of the ads when scrolling through your Facebook feed. They highlight wind power initiatives, biofuels and ‘future technology’, but they’re not telling the whole truth. Reports have shown that oil and gas companies spent only around 1 percent of their 2018 budgets on clean energy (4).

Public pressure has nudged Facebook to change their policies before, and we can do it again. When targeted by environmental groups for using coal to power their data centres, the company pledged to shift to renewable energy (5).

Facebook says sustainability is a top priority for them. But we need to tell them that this is incompatible with accepting money from the companies that are causing climate breakdown. Their words are not enough - we demand action. 

We call on Facebook to ban climate-wrecking fossil fuel companies from advertising on their site. Add your name, and join us in demanding a #FossilFreeFacebook today!

Sources:

1. https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2017/jul/10/100-fossil-fuel-companies-investors-responsible-71-global-emissions-cdp-study-climate-change
2. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/climate-consensus-97-per-cent/2018/sep/19/shell-and-exxons-secret-1980s-climate-change-warnings
3. https://sustainability.fb.com/
4. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-oil-renewables/big-oil-spent-1-percent-on-green-energy-in-2018-idUSKCN1NH004
5. https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/facebook-pledges-to-buy-100-renewable-energy-by-2020