Greenpeace ad banned over misleading fracking claims
Greenpeace has landed in trouble with the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) over claims it made about fracking in a press advert.
The ad, which carried the text: "No fracking under my home text no frack… Fracking threatens our climate, our countryside and our water. Yet experts agree - it won't cut our energy bills" drew one complaint from Lord Lipsey, a member of the labour party.
He argued that there are a range of views exist on whether fracking will reduce energy prices, and questioned whether the claim could be substantiated.
In response Greenpeace said the claim was made in the context of a public debate on government policy and explained that key figures in government supported fracking. The organisation also cited two quotes that appeared in news articles, from the Prime Minister about the impact of fracking on energy prices.
However the ASA pointed to a clause in the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) which states that marketing communications must not suggest that their claims are universally accepted if a significant division of informed or scientific opinion exists.
While the ASA acknowledged that Greenpeace provided quotes from 22 people, groups and organisations, to demonstrate support for the view that fracking would not reduce energy prices, the watchdog said that there was “a significant division of informed opinion on the issue”.
The ASA concluded that the ad was misleading and told Greenpeace that it most not appear again in its current form.