Clean Creatives report: Fossil fuel ads hit record 1,321 contracts in 2026
Ad agencies signed more contracts with oil and gas firms than ever, portraying the industry as essential to family life and national security amid climate breakdown.
What to know
- Clean Creatives documented a record 1,321 fossil fuel advertising contracts in 2026—a 9-month investigation revealing 386 oil and gas companies engaged 802 ad and PR firms across 73 countries.
- Advertising portrays fossil fuels as essential to family security, economic prosperity, and national strength, using fear-mongering around energy supply shortages to justify expansion, particularly in the US, UK, and Europe.
- Top ad firms (Omnicom, WPP, Publicis) hold the majority of fossil fuel contracts despite publicly claiming environmental responsibility; one was named Time's most sustainable company despite 34 fossil fuel deals.
- The advertising surge coincides with record oil and gas profits from the Iran war and global energy shortages, suggesting the industry invested windfall gains into reputation management.
The dispute No substantive disagreement in the evidence—commenters align in criticizing fossil fuel advertising and the ad agencies enabling it. · positions read across 1 posts and comments
Fossil fuel advertising should face restrictions similar to drug or tobacco ads, as the industry is equally harmful.
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“Would we allow drug-pushers to advertise their wares freely? Yet fossilfuels are just as lethal, to humans, to non-human animals, to nature, & to the planet.”
rmblaber1956 · Mastodon ↗
“Since 1879, our people have been more than a source of energy. They've been a source of progress.”
Chevron, Oil company · The Guardian (from Facebook ad) ↗ · Sep 15
Nayantara Dutta Lead researcher, Clean CreativesClean Creatives Advertising industry campaign groupOmnicom Advertising firmChevron Oil companyEquinor Norwegian oil company
How it unfolded 3 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlesposts
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Critic frames fossil fuel advertising industry as systemic deception
A Mastodon commenter characterizes an $800 billion advertising industry built on misleading the public about harmful behavior as growing faster than the broader economy.
“Imagine getting a job telling lies to trick people into harmful behaviour. Imagine an $800 billion industry based on that, growing faster than the rest of the economy.”
— EricLawton -
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Social media critiques fossil fuel advertising as regulatory failure
Commenters on Mastodon compare fossil fuel advertising to drug promotion, questioning why such campaigns are permitted when protesters face arrest and companies receive subsidies while shareholders profit.
“Would we allow drug-pushers to advertise their wares freely? Yet fossilfuels are just as lethal, to humans, to non-human animals, to nature, & to the planet.”
— rmblaber1956 -
R
https://www. theguardian.com/business/2026/ sep/16/fossil-fuel-advertising-contracts-all-time-high . WHY is this being permitted? Would we allow drug-pushers to # advertise their wares freely? Yet # fossilfuels are just as # lethal , to # humans , to non-human # animals , to # nature , & to the # planet . # Protesters against the # Fossilfuel #…
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Top ad firms hold majority of fossil fuel contracts despite sustainability claims
Omnicom leads with 118 contracts, followed by WPP with 88 and Publicis with 34. Publicis was named one of Time magazine's most sustainable companies in 2026 despite these contracts, illustrating the gap between agencies' environmental claims and their fossil fuel work.
“By reading through all of their climate disclosures, what I find most telling this year is this is the first year in our research where advertising agencies are across the board acknowledging climate risk in their annual reports.”
— Nayantara Dutta, Lead researcher, Clean Creatives · source -
first by Guardian Media, 7d ago
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background
Fossil fuel ads emphasize family, security, and economic nationalism — The report details how advertising portrays fossil fuels as essential to family life, jobs, and national prosperity. Campaigns invoke fear around energy supply shortages and frame oil and gas expansion as linked to economic security, particularly in the US, UK, and Europe.
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background
Clean Creatives documents 1,321 fossil fuel ad contracts—an all-time high — A nine-month investigation by Clean Creatives found 386 fossil fuel companies across 73 countries engaged 802 advertising and PR agencies in 2026, creating 1,321 active contracts. The finding comes in a year marked by extreme weather events, including watermelons being grown in Bristol.
What people are saying 0 voices from 0 sites · best of 1 · verbatim
- Why are ad agencies permitted to make environmental responsibility claims in sustainability reports while simultaneously holding hundreds of fossil fuel contracts?