UK newspaper Guardian bans fossil fuel adverts

British newspaper the Guardian on Wednesday said it will ban fossil fuel adverts across its outlets, becoming the first major international news organisation to do so.

"The ban will apply to any business primarily involved in extracting fossil fuels, including many of the world's largest polluters," said the paper.

"Our decision is based on the decades-long efforts by many in that industry to prevent meaningful climate action by governments around the world," acting chief executive, Anna Bateson, and chief revenue officer, Hamish Nicklin, said in a joint statement, calling it the "most important challenge of our times".

The Scott Trust, which owns the media group, has also "almost entirely" divested from fossil fuel companies, they added.

Bateson and Nicklin said the ban would hit the company's finances, with advertising making up 40 percent of its revenue.

"It's true that rejecting some adverts might make our lives a tiny bit tougher in the very short term," they said.

"Nonetheless, we believe building a more purposeful organisation and remaining financially sustainable have to go hand in hand."

However, they added that the company would not ban advertising for high-carbon footprint products, such as cars or holidays, saying it was "not financially sustainable".

Environmental campaigners Greenpeace called the decision a "watershed moment", and said the Guardian "must be applauded for this bold move to end the legitimacy of fossil fuels".

"Oil and gas firms now find themselves alongside tobacco companies as businesses that threaten the health and well-being of everyone on this planet," said senior climate campaigner Mel Evans.

She said it would end "greenwash advertising" and encouraged other media, arts and sports organisations to follow suit.

In recent months, several organisations including the Royal Shakespeare Company and the British Museum have been forced to stop corporate sponsorship from oil majors by environmentalists.

Greta Thunberg patents own name and 'Fridays for Future'
Stockholm (AFP) Jan 29, 2020 - Teen eco warrior Greta Thunberg said Wednesday she has registered both her own name and her "Fridays For Future" global protest movement as trademarks in order to prevent them from being hijacked for fraudulent purposes.

"My name and the #FridaysForFuture movement are constantly being used for commercial purposes without any consent whatsoever," the 17-year-old Swede wrote on her Instagram account.

"I assure you, I and the other school strikers have absolutely no interests in trademarks. But unfortunately it needs to be done."

She complained that "there are still people who are trying to impersonate me or falsely claim that they 'represent' me in order to communicate with high profile people, politicians, media, artists etc."

There had also been instances of marketing, product selling and people collecting money "in my and the movement's name," she wrote.

"That is why I've applied to register my name, Fridays For Future,... as trademarks. This action is to protect the movement and its activities."

Thunberg, whose protests have attracted millions of young people across the globe, also said she was setting up a non-profit making foundation to handle the financial side of "Fridays for Future", such as book royalties, donations and prize money.

She insisted that the foundation would be "completely transparent," for example, with regard to the taxes it has to pay.

"The foundation's aim will be to promote ecological, climatic and social sustainability, as well as mental health," the campaigner wrote.

Thunberg's climate struggle began quietly in August 2018 when she skipped school for the first three weeks, and then on Fridays to spend the day outside Sweden's parliament with a sign labelled "School strike for climate".

Since then, she has become the face behind the global protest movement, particularly for young people.

Thunberg has also come under ferocious attack from climate changes deniers, who accuse her of being manipulated by a "green lobby".

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