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Azra Hoosen | ah@radioislam.co.za
13 March 2025 | 13:30 CAT
2 min read

Fossil fuel companies are spending millions on advertising to appear “green”, but a new report has exposed the misleading tactics behind their campaigns. Titled Smoke and Mirrors: Decoding Fossil Fuel Industry Advertising in South Africa, the report reveals that misleading ads from companies like Sasol, Shell, and TotalEnergies reach 15 million South Africans every month.

Thameena Dhansay, a Fossil Ad Ban campaigner with Fossil Free South Africa, who led the research, explained how these companies use advertising to greenwash their industry in an interview with Radio Islam.

“Greenwashing is when companies use misleading claims or advertising techniques to convince the public that they are less environmentally harmful than they really are. In the case of fossil fuel companies, it is really about masking the human rights impacts that they have overall,” said Dhansay.

She explained that in South Africa, fossil fuel companies use this tactic to gain public acceptance for their operations while hiding their role in contributing to the climate crisis. The report found that misleading fuel ads reach a significant portion of the population, particularly the youth. “These advertisements make implicit claims that fossil fuel companies care about the environment, the future, and the well-being of humanity. We know this is false because global temperature records are breaking every single year,” she said.

She cited research showing that just 36 fossil fuel companies were responsible for 50 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions in 2023. Among these companies are Shell, BP, and TotalEnergies, all of which were investigated in the report.

“The advertisements try to set them up as cornerstones of society, making them appear beneficial by boosting the economy or investing in green technologies. They sponsor scholarships, medical clinics, arts, and sports competitions. But in reality, they are threatening the well-being of our society as a whole,” she explained.

Fossil Free South Africa is now calling for a fossil fuel advertising ban in Cape Town and beyond. Dhansay believes South Africa could implement such a ban, much like it did with tobacco advertising in the 1990s and early 2000s. “There is very much a strong existing framework within our legislative and policy realm for such a ban to be implemented,” she said. Dhansay highlighted international examples such as The Hague, which has already banned fossil fuel ads.

While a legislative ban may take time, Dhansay emphasised that South Africans can take action now by being aware of greenwashing tactics. “A big part of what greenwashing does is normalise fossil fuel companies and create the idea that they are on our side. If we can curb what they say in advertising and how often we are exposed to it, people will be able to discern the reality,” she said.

Dhansay emphasises that rather than worrying about individual impacts, focus should be on collective action to hold these companies accountable and demand action from the government.

LISTEN to the full interview with Ml Junaid Kharsany and Thameena Dhansay, a Fossil Ad Ban campaigner with Fossil Free South Africa, here.