In March, a law will come into force in France, according to which domestic carmakers must remind people in their car advertising that there are more environmentally friendly ways to travel, The Washington Post reports.
French carmakers (including Peugeot and Renault) will have to choose between three messages, one of which must be added to advertising:
- “Consider car-sharing”;
- “If the distance is short – choose a walk or bike ride”;
- “Use public transport for everyday travel.”
Advertisers will also need to add a hashtag at the end of the message in English or French, which encourages more movement and less pollution.
These requirements will apply to radio, television, cinemas, the print media and the Internet. Violators will face a fine of up to 56 thousand dollars.
In addition, according to Le Monde, advertisers will have to indicate in advertising the amount of carbon dioxide produced by the car, and from 2028, advertising of cars with the highest carbon emissions will be banned altogether. The French authorities have decided to introduce such innovations after many years of lobbying by environmental activists.
Automakers in France will soon be required to add environmentally friendly nudges to vehicle advertisements.
The new rule, which is set to take effect March 1, compels French auto manufacturers to include suggestions encouraging alternative modes of transportation.
“Decarbonizing transportation does not only mean switching to an electric motor. It also means using public transportation or cycling when possible,” French Ecological Transition Minister Barbara Pompili wrote on Twitter last week.
The Post noted there will be three messaging options: “Consider carpooling,” “For short trips, opt for walking or cycling” or “Use public transportation for everyday trips.” Then advertisers must affix one of two hashtags. Advertisers who fail to include the messaging could face penalties of up to $56,000.
Additionally, beginning March 1, a manufacturer’s advertisement must include a vehicle’s emissions class, and the highest emitting vehicles will be banned from promotions beginning in 2028, according to the Post.
“I am taking note, we will adapt,” Lionel French Keogh, chief executive of Hyundai in France, told Agence France-Presse, per the Post.
“Zero-emission transportation is the future, he added, although he noted he believes the measure “stigmatized the automobile.”
