A Dutch city has become the world's first to ban ads for meat in public places over climate concerns

• The Dutch city of Haarlem has banned adverts for meat products.
• Meat adverts will be banned from Haarlem's buses and any screens in public places.

A Dutch city has become the first in the world to ban adverts for meat products in public spaces, multiple national news agencies reported.

The ban in the city of Haarlem — proposed last year by environmentally-focused political party GroenLinks — was made official last week.

Adverts for meat products will be banned from Haarlem's buses, bus shelters, and any screens in public places from 2024, the Dutch news agency Trouw reported.

The move is part of an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the city after meat was added to an official list of products deemed to contribute to climate change.

There has been some opposition to the city's ban. Critics within the city council and the meat industry say that the ban restricts freedom of expression and patronizes citizens, according to Trouw.

Other Dutch cities, including the country's capital city of Amsterdam, have already moved to ban adverts for activities that contribute to climate change such as aviation, gasoline-fueled cars, and the fossil fuel industry.

Haarlem GroenLinks councilor, Ziggy Klazes, told Trouw: "Meat is just as harmful to the environment [as fossil fuels]."

"We can't tell people there's a climate crisis and encourage them to buy products that are part of the cause," she added.

The global food production industry is estimated to make up around one-third of humankind's total gas emissions, according to a study published last year. Emissions from the meat industry account for 60% of this total, double the amount of pollution produced by the production of plant-based foods, the study found.