Men's love for meat, cars makes them pollute more than women
Findings show that car use and consumption of red meat – often associated with male identity – account for most of the residual difference in carbon footprints. (Envato Elements pic)
PARIS : A recent French study highlights the gender gap in carbon footprints, revealing that women emit 26% less carbon dioxide than men – mainly due to lower car use and lower consumption of red meat.
This preliminary study was carried out by Ondine Berland at the London School of Economics and Political Science, and Marion Leroutier at Crest-Ensae Paris, based on survey data on the mobility and eating habits of over 15,000 people.
It reveals that men's annual carbon footprint for food and transportation is the equivalent of 5.3 tonnes of CO2, compared with 3.9 tonnes for women. The gap remains significant even when standard of living, distances travelled, and volume of food consumed are taken into account.
'The data show that red-meat consumption and car use – which are both high-emission goods often associated with male identity – account for most of the residual difference in carbon footprints once variations in food quantity, distances travelled, and employment status are considered,' explains an overview of this working paper.
The survey also reveals that the gender gap in carbon footprints is as wide as that between low- and high-income individuals. This underlines the importance of cultural and social – and not just economic – factors in CO2 emissions.
The researchers believe that these results highlight how men and women could be affected differently by the implementation of climate policies. It could be less challenging for women than men to adopt consumption patterns compatible with net-zero objectives, they noted.
'Our results suggest that traditional gender norms, particularly those linking masculinity with red-meat consumption and car use, play a significant role in shaping individual carbon footprints.
'This points to the potential for information policies that challenge such norms – for example, by reframing plant-based alternatives as compatible with strength and performance,' Berland said.
The researchers point out, however, that further studies are needed to shed more light on their findings and hypotheses.
This is not the first time that the subject of gender differences in individual carbon footprints has been studied. A UK study published in the journal Plos One at the end of 2021 estimated that men pollute 41% more than their female counterparts, primarily due to their consumption of meat.
Another study published the same year, this time in Sweden, showed that men produce around 16% more greenhouse-gas emissions than women – again, mainly due to their appetite for meat and greater consumption of fuel.
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