In February 2026, Florence became the first Italian city to ban fossil fuel advertising and sponsorship on council-controlled sites. Florence joins Edinburgh, Stockholm, The Hague, Stockholm, Sydney and dozens of other cities who are restricting adverts for polluting products such as fossil fuel companies, cars and aviation. Meanwhile our favourite sports are being used as a billboard for high carbon brands with the Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortiana sponsored by Eni, ITA Airways and car-maker Stellantis.
Join this workshop to learn how you can join public health campaigners, climate activists and advertising industry workers to demand build the historic movement against polluting adverts for cities spaces that prioritise community connection, solidarity, public art and sustainability.
Giovanni Graziani is an environmental engineer and a city councilor in Florence, who spearheaded the landmark 2026 motion to ban fossil fuel and high-carbon advertising in the city. This initiative, approved in February 2026, makes Florence a leading Italian city in the global movement to reclaim public spaces from climate-harming promotions. His work focused on protecting public health and the environment, getting Firenze municipality to make a formal commitment to ban climate-wrecking advertisements from all sensitive city spots.
Robbie Gillett is the founding director of Adfree Cities - a network of UK city groups who campaign to reduce the harms of corporate advertising in our public space. The Badvertising campaign works internationally to end advertising for high carbon products.
Andrea Sbarbaro, president of Cittadini Sostenibili APS, will join the panel of speakers. This Italian non-profit organization works on raising awareness among mayors and municipalities regarding the possibility of introducing bans and restrictions on advertisements for polluting products, as tools for protecting public health and the climate.
Adfree Cities is a network of UK groups campaigning to reduce the harms of corporate advertising in public space. Together with the New Weather Institute, it is part of the Badvertising campaign to create tobacco-style restrictions on advertising for high carbon products such as fossil fuels, airlines and cars.
