The Citroën brand presents one of its SUV models in Paris, June 12, 2017. -

ROMUALD MEIGNEUX / SIPA

  • Of the 4.3 billion euros spent on advertising by the automotive industry in France in 2019, 1.8 billion was for SUVs, points out this Wednesday the WWF in a report on the growing share of these models in the advertising market.

  • To the point of considering banning the promotion of heavier vehicles, which often emit more CO2, and favoring that of lighter and more fuel-efficient vehicles?

    This is one of the debates opened by the “Climate and Resilience” bill.

  • For now, the advertising ban is limited to fossil fuels.

    At the same time, the government is counting on the voluntary commitments of communication players to move towards more virtuous advertising.

    But the WWF asks to go further.

Eighteen pages of daily press, 3h50 of advertisements per day… The SUV-ization of the company does not show only on the tarmac.

It is also played out in the advertising market.

At least that's what WWF France intends to show in a report published on Wednesday.

The NGO looked at the 62 models marketed by the eleven car brands that sold the most private vehicles in France in 2019. For each of these models - including 23 SUVs - it then looked at the advertising investments made in 2018 and 2019, based on data from the specialist firm Kantar.

SUVs that crush the advertising market

Result?

In 2019, of the 4.3 billion euros of advertising spent in France by these brands, 1.8 billion was devoted to promoting SUVs, notes WWF France.

Or 42% of the total.

It was 40% in 2018. Conversely, in 2018 and 2019, city dwellers respectively benefited from 25% and 30% of total advertising and communication investments.

Last October already, the NGO devoted a first report on the consequences of the boom in France of these "Sport utility vehicles", whose share in the purchase of new vehicles increased from 5 to 38% between 2008 and 2019 in France.

In particular on the climatic consequences.

SUVs, crosses between 4x4s and sedans, are heavier and less aerodynamic than their standard equivalents.

And, very often, more CO2 emitters.

Around 20%, estimated WWF France.

“Over the past ten years, they have been the second largest source of growth in French CO2 emissions, behind the aviation sector,” recalls Pierre Cannet, director of advocacy and campaigns for the NGO.

"Activate all the levers to counter the rise of SUVs"

To counter this SUV boom, the government will introduce, from 2022, a purchase tax on cars over 1.8 tonnes.

This penalty will however only concern 3% of new registrations each year in France, criticize the NGOs.

"Its introduction is still a first in France and helps to give direction to the automotive industry towards vehicles with less emissions", tempers Pierre Cannet.

The support plan for the automotive industry unveiled last May, on the sidelines of the recovery plan, also went in this direction.

"But all regulatory instruments must be used to curb the growth of SUVs," continues the advocacy director of WWF France.

Including regulation of automobile advertising.

"

This lever is far from being anecdotal for the WWF.

By its ripple effect on demand, advertising contributes to the dynamism of consumption.

In France, one euro invested in advertising generates an average of 7.85 euros in wealth, the firm Deloitte assessed in January 2017.

“Advertising is also a good indicator of what the market of tomorrow could be, at least what manufacturers would like to lead consumers to,” continues Pierre Cannet.

In its final report submitted to Emmanuel Macron last June, the Citizen's Climate Convention made the regulation of advertising one "of the main levers to be operated to change consumer behavior in a sustainable manner".

It went so far as to propose an “Evin law on the climate”, which would prohibit the advertising of products emitting the most greenhouse gases, while encouraging the promotion of the most virtuous behaviors and products.

A bill that relies on voluntary commitments

This proposal was watered down in the “Climate and Resilience” bill.

The advertising ban now only concerns fossil fuels.

The text "also provides for the creation of codes of good conduct allowing the media and communication sectors to make commitments for more virtuous advertising in terms of the climate and the environment", defended Tuesday morning Barbara Pompili, the minister of the Ecological Transition.

In February, the government launched a mission to promote the emergence of these commitments, and has already said it has seen the formalization of the first promising announcements.

Those of the French automobile sector in particular to invest in an increasing way in favor of the promotion of electric and hybrid vehicles.

From 2021, it will devote 50% of its advertising investments to promoting these vehicles, 60% in 2022 and 70% in 2023.

Should we believe it?

On Tuesday, Barbara Pompili herself noted a gap between the main principles established in the "sustainable development" recommendation of the Professional Advertising Regulatory Authority (ARPP) - which came into force in August - and the advertisements to which we are still exposed. .

To avoid "greenwashing", the Minister promises this time an evaluation and a follow-up over time of these voluntary commitments.

Do not fall into the trap of hybrid SUVs?

For the deputy Matthieu Orphelin, co-president of the Ecology, Democracy, Solidarity (EDS) group, things start badly if we look closely at the first announcements from the automotive industry.

"We are content to say that we will promote electric or hybrid models, but without ever talking about the size or weight of the vehicles," he points out.

Pierre Cannet also invites us not to fall into this trap.

"If the response of the automotive industry is to advertise more hybrids and electrics while continuing to grow models and make SUVs the standard, France will miss its climate commitments," he insists.

WWF therefore expects the “Climate and Resilience” bill to send a clearer and stronger direction to the auto sector.

The NGO thus asks "to ban, on all media, advertisements for the heaviest vehicles, weighing more than 1.8 tonnes, including electric ones", and "those also the most emitting, exceeding 95gCO2 per km ”.

“At the same time, we could imagine a mechanism that would allow the price of advertising to be adjusted according to the weight and level of CO2 emissions of the vehicles, so that the more a car weighs and / or emits CO2, the more the manufacturer would pay dearly to promote it, ”says Pierre Cannet.

It remains for WWF to be heard by the deputies, who will examine in plenary session this bill "Climate and resilience" from Monday.

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