From dream to climate nightmare: impact of advertising

To put it simply, overconsumption is the issue. We have known for some time that we live in a society where production and consumption of goods are constantly rising. This keeps the wheels of capitalism rolling and our economies humming.

What is less clear is that there is one thing in particular that fans the flames of this overconsumption, and that thing is advertising.

But what if we used this engine to promote healthy, sustainable and sober consumption?

Since 2020, Équiterre has been pondering the role played by advertising in our modes of consumption. Advertising sells us a dream, but the flip side of that dream is an ecological nightmare. By encouraging — and even glorifying — lifestyles where we acquire more and more things that we then replace too often, advertising steers us down the wrong road. How can we make a U-turn?

At Équiterre, we are seeking ways of reversing this trend. Of slowing down.

One way of doing this is to regulate advertising so that the messages conveyed help redefine social norms and promote sustainable alternatives: buying used, consuming less, renting, sharing.

An initial report, published in March 2022, delved into automobile advertising and its impact on the growing trend toward larger vehicles on our roads. This study underscored the power wielded by the advertising industry and its influence on this trend, given that as far back as 2018, the automobile industry has ranked among the top three sectors for spending on digital advertising.

This influence is not limited to new car purchases. All consumer goods and products profit from the effects of advertising. Want proof? The report on regulating commercial advertising, published by Équiterre in 2025, cites studies carried out in France and in the United States, showing that spending on advertising was alone responsible for increases in consumption of 5.3% and 7% respectively among residents of these two countries over 30 years.