Request ID: FOI-2766-2324 Date published: 01 December 2023
You asked
Dear Sir/Madam,
I would like to request the following information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
1. How many advertisements in spaces owned by TFL have been placed by oil and gas companies per year over the past five years?
2. Which oil and gas companies have taken out advertising spaces owned by TFL in the last five years?
3. How much have each oil and gas company spent on TFL advertising spaces per year during that period?
If some parts of this request are easier to fulfil than others, please could you share these answers when they are ready rather than delaying the whole request?
We answered
TfL Ref: 2766-2324
Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 3 November 2023 asking for information about TFL advertising spaces.
Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy. I can confirm that we hold some of the information you require. You asked: I would like to request the following information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
How many advertisements in spaces owned by TFL have been placed by oil and gas companies per year over the past five years?
Which oil and gas companies have taken out advertising spaces owned by TFL in the last five years?
How much have each oil and gas company spent on TFL advertising spaces per year during that period?
Please note the following:
In February 2023, the Committees of Advertising Practice (CAP) issued environmental guidance about ‘carbon neutral’ and ‘net zero’ claims in advertising to ensure advertisements are not misleading. TfL now requires all advertising copy relating to fossil fuel extraction, or copy submitted for brands associated with fossil fuel extraction, to be referred for consideration. In addition, TfL requires all advertising copy which includes an environmental claim to be referred for review. Advertisers must ensure that their advertising complies with the latest CAP Code and ASA guidance, and TfL asks its media partners to continue to verify compliance. CAP advice must be sought on all advertising related to fossil fuel extraction and environmental claims prior to coming to TfL for consideration.
Oil and Gas isn’t a category that either of our media partners record data by, so a manual search has been carried out to extract this information, therefore there is a possibility that some companies may have been missed or erroneously included from the list provided below.
How many advertisements in spaces owned by TFL have been placed by oil and gas companies per year over the past five years? In the past 5 years 1,275 advertisements have run on TfL assets
Which oil and gas companies have taken out advertising spaces owned by TFL in the last five years? Please see the information requested below: Please note that most of the adverts run by these companies in recent years related to aspects of their business focused on renewable energy.
British Gas Ltd
BP OIL UK LIMITED
Bulb Energy Plc
Cadent Gas Limited
Canadian Energy Centre Ltd
E.ON UK Plc
EDF Energy Plc
ESB Energy Limited
ExxonMobil UK Limited
INEOS Capital Ltd
Nation Grid Plc
Octopus Energy Ltd
Ovo Energy Ltd
Scottish & Southern Energy Power Distribution Ltd
Shell UK Ltd
Smart Energy GB
Vattenfall Heat UK Ltd
How much have each oil and gas company spent on TFL advertising spaces per year during that period? In accordance with the FOI Act we are not obliged to supply data on individual advertisers and their spend as this is subject to a statutory exemption to the right of access to information under section 43(2). The disclosure of the negotiated rates would prejudice our ability to maximise future revenue from advertising. These figures are subject to negotiation with each advertising partner, and the disclosure of any negotiated rate would prejudice our ability to maximise future revenue from advertising.
The use of this exemption is subject to an assessment of the public interest in relation to the disclosure of the information concerned. We recognise the need for openness and transparency by public authorities but in this instance the public interest in ensuring that we are able to obtain the best value for public money outweighs the general public interest in increasing transparency of our processes. We also consider that in this case the public interest supports withholding this information in order to protect our advertising revenue as we reinvest every pound of income in the transport network, to the benefit of fare and tax payers. Through sustained investment we are improving the transport network for the millions of people who rely on it every day.
If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for any reason, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal as well as information on copyright and what to do if you would like to re-use any of the information we have disclosed.
Yours sincerely
Sara Thomas FOI Case Management Team General Counsel Transport for London
