Conservation group clashes with car firm over TV advert

A conservation group has accused Jaguar Land Rover of producing a TV advert that depicts a vehicle being driven irresponsibly through a peat bog – an allegation that the company denies.

Lorna Brazell, secretary of the Cambrian Mountains Society, published a post that said: “Jaguar Land Rover are busy publicising the launch of new electric models of their premium brand cars, the Type 01 saloon and the 4×4 Range Rover Sport. We might have hoped that these ‘clean’ vehicles would be about decarbonising private transport, but if so, we were wholly mistaken. Their current TV advert shows an older Range Rover being driven through a peat bog, ending up covered in wet peat which is then hosed off to reveal the gleaming new electric version.

“Peat bogs are ancient, delicate, and irreplaceable ecosystems, not only protected as a priority habitat under Welsh law but the subject of numerous conservation bodies’ restoration work throughout the UK. They cover only 4% of our land area but store over 25% of our sequestered carbon. Their water-retention qualities make them a vital part of our defences against both upland wildfires and lowland flooding, and help foster drought resilience.

“It is irresponsible that Jaguar Land Rover are actively urging pointless destruction of these vital assets in the search for a few minutes’ play at ‘wilderness’ adventure. The irony of off-roading using an electric vehicle, nearly seven hundredweight heavier and more damaging than the diesel version, while no doubt imagining that this is somehow nature- or climate-friendly, is enough to make anyone who really cares about our environment weep.

“To support the active conservation of our abused and overlooked peatlands, readers can lend their voices by signing our current Senedd petition seeking a ban on all future development on them, at https://petitions.senedd.wales/petitions/247036.”

A spokesperson for Jaguar Land Rover responded: “The location shown in the advert wasn’t in Wales and wasn’t a peat bog or protected peatland habitat. The filming actually took place at a controlled location outside the UK, with the necessary permissions in place, and no protected habitats were disturbed.

“We recognise how important peatlands and other sensitive ecosystems are.”

A statement from Jaguar Land Rover’s sustainability director, Andrea Debbane, on the group’s corporate website says: “Aligned to our Reimagine strategy, we aim to truly embed a sustainable mindset into the heart of JLR, driving workstreams and partnerships to enable the transformation of our business as we target carbon net zero across our supply chain, products, and operations by 2039.”

Off-road

Ms Brazell responded: “JLR claim they did no damage and were outside the UK. With respect, this misses the point entirely. By showing the ad in the UK without any kind of disclaimer such as ‘do remember not to do this in the UK/Wales’ or ‘this vehicle is intended for use on suitable heavy-duty tracks only’, they are responsible for the message it actually sends, which is ‘please buy one of these in the UK, you can have SO much fun off-road!’

“In order to have a flourishing future for all, we need to make sure that this includes everyone and everything that makes Wales unique, and that very much includes our peatlands. We need to prioritise restoration of degraded peatlands, and any intervention that comes at a cost to that, including treating it as a playground for motorised vehicles, whether fossil-fuelled or electric, is short-sighted.

“Our peatlands store almost a third of our carbon in Wales, and that carbon must stay intact in wet, healthy peat. It’s not denying anyone the right to access our uplands; it is future-proofing the next generations’ right to enjoy a beautiful, thriving Wales. And we all want that.”