Watchdog rules HSBC climate ads misled consumers over bank's environmental impact

Advertising Standards Authority

In a landmark ruling, the Advertising Standards Authority rules bank failed to put its climate investments in broader context of its continued financing of polluting industries

HSBC has been rapped by the UK advertising watchdog over an advertising campaign that promoted the bank's climate and nature investments without highlighting its significant role in funding fossil fuel infrastructure and other polluting activities. In a decision published on its website today (19 October), the Advertising Standards Authority said ads for the bank, which ran in the press and on bus-stops in Bristol and London prior to the COP26 Climate Summit last year, "omitted material information" about HSBC's signifcant investments in polluting businesses. Over 25% of world's top c...