Women in France have lower carbon footprint than men, research shows

What you probably already know: A carbon footprint is a measure of the total greenhouse gases, primarily carbon dioxide and methane, released into the atmosphere by an entity. It’s often used when referring to countries. For instance, the United States has the second-worst carbon footprint in the world, surpassed only by China. But it can also be used to quantify a person’s environmental impact and how they contribute to climate change. New research suggests that some men are polluting the planet more than women.

Why? The average man in France emits 26% more carbon than the average woman when it comes to transportation and food, two sectors that account for 50% of France’s national household carbon footprint, according to a preprint study released by the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the London School of Economics and the Center for Research in Economics and Statistics. Researchers analyzed data on the emissions generated by the diets of 2,100 adults in France and the transport patterns of 12,500 others. Their findings indicate that men account for an average of 5.3 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent every year across both sectors, compared to 3.9 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent for women.

What it means: Researchers said that part of the gender gap was due to socioeconomic factors, such as employment status, place of residence, and profession. Men often travel longer distances in more pollution-prone vehicles than women, particularly for work, and eat more calories. Even when controlling for these differences, the study authors found a 38% gender gap in transport-related carbon emissions and a 25% gap in food. They concluded that two high-carbon lifestyle choices that are associated with gender stereotypes — eating red meat and driving cars — account for most of the pollution disparities relating to transportation and diet. “Interestingly, we do not find a gender gap in carbon footprints for plane[s], a transport mode seen as more gender-neutral than car[s]. This suggests that the gap is explained by gender differences in preferences pre-dating climate concerns,” said Marion Leroutier, assistant professor at CREST-ENSAE Paris.

What happens next: This study is one of the first to examine the role gender plays in individual contributions to climate change. It reinforces the need for changes in lifestyle choices and sheds light on how climate policies might impact men and women differently, and could explain why women in high-income countries have statistically shown more concern over climate change issues. “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,” said Ondine Berland, environmental economics fellow at the London School of Economics and Political Science. “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.”