Following a complaint about misleading climate advertisements in the UK, the Financial Times and Reuters have removed Saudi Aramco's content promoting its environmental initiatives.
Joey Grostern reports for DeSmog.
In short:
- The withdrawn content includes advertorials and a podcast, alleged to overstate the effectiveness of Aramco's "advanced fuels" in reducing carbon emissions.
- The New Weather Institute's complaint prompted the removal, accusing the content of presenting biased information favoring oil-dependent technologies over electric vehicles.
- The Advertising Standards Authority is currently investigating the allegations of greenwashing.
Key quote:
"Journalism needs decontaminating from polluters’ vested interests."
— Andrew Simms, co-director of the New Weather Institute.
Why this matters:
When media organizations choose to run advertisements containing misleading or false information about climate issues, it can erode trust in the media and conflict with the ethical responsibility journalists have to inform the public accurately.
Peter Dykstra: There's plenty of environmental content on TV — if you like misleading ads.
