The Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) has decided that Friends of the Earth can claim on its website that “Fracking is incompatible with tackling climate change” and “Fracking risks contaminating groundwater”.

The watchdog rejected a challenge.

In a lengthy discussion of the issue, the ASA decided that the page was intended to provide information and set out why FoE was campaigning against fracking in the UK. Website visitors would be aware that there was political discussion under way.