A new paper by the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment has analyzed the carbon footprint gender gap in food and transportation.
The study uses survey data on the food consumption of 2,100 representative French individuals and the transport patterns of 12,500 others. It finds that women emit 26% less carbon than men in these sectors, which together account for half of the average individual’s carbon footprint. Men’s food and transport consumption produce 5.3 tonnes of carbon dioxide-equivalent (tCO2e) on average, while women’s produce 3.9 tCO2e.
The study emphasizes that the gap is not just due to men eating more calories or having longer commutes — 25% of the food footprint gap and 38% of the transport footprint gap remain unexplained after accounting for these factors.
Red meat consumption and car use
The data show that red meat consumption and car use account for most of the residual difference in carbon footprints after variations in food quantity, distances traveled, and employment status are taken into account. The researchers note that both these behaviors are often associated with male identity.
The gender gap in transport use is only present among couples and is especially pronounced in couples with children. On the other hand, the gender gap in food carbon footprints is smaller in dual-adult households, implying that shared meals and joint decision-making could limit the expression of gendered dietary preferences.
The results illustrate how men and women could be differently impacted by climate policy. While the analysis only considers two sectors, the authors say it is very unlikely the gap would disappear if all sectors were considered, since emissions from other goods and services would need to be at least 80% lower for men in order to cancel out the gender gap in food and transport emissions.
Meat and masculinity
It is well-known that there is a gender imbalance when it comes to following plant-based diets, with women much more likely to do so than men. A Vegan Society research briefing from 2023 found that men face barriers such as social stigma, pressures to conform to masculine expectations, and misinformation relating to nutrition when seeking to eat less meat.
“Our results have implications for the political economy of climate policy-making, as citizens who are more affected by environmental policy costs and less concerned with climate change are less likely to support mitigation measures,” says the study. “Policies affecting societal norms around gendered consumption patterns, such as associating eating meat with being masculine, could also influence carbon footprints.”
