Women emit less greenhouse gases than men, says economist – 07/03/2023 – Market

Women have a lifestyle that leads them, on average, to emit less greenhouse gases than men, according to an article by an economist consulted by AFP this Tuesday (7).

“There are studies that show gender disparities in the behaviors responsible for the origin of greenhouse gas emissions and the consequences of climate change”, explains Oriane Wegner, author of the article, which will be published on Wednesday (8) on the website of the Bank of France.

Wegner admits, however, that more than gender, the level of income plays “a more important role”, as well as the place of residence – urban or rural.

The article was revealed by the French newspaper Libération.

An expert in climate economics at the Bank of France, Wegner says he is basing himself on a 2021 Swedish study that says men’s consumption trends “cause an average of 16% more greenhouse gases” than women’s.

Men eat more meat than women (67% of French vegetarians are women), use cars more and spend more on consumer goods.

“Men are more likely to go on holiday to more distant destinations and to do so by car,” Wegner told AFP. Likewise, “airplane-related CO2 emissions are slightly higher for men,” he added.

“On the women’s side, there is spending on goods and services with lower levels of emissions, such as care and health”, detailed Wegner.

In 2021, single men emitted, on average, ten tons of greenhouse gases, against just over eight tons for single women, despite their spending being “only 2%” higher than these women.

At the same time, the consequences are uneven.

According to UN studies cited by Wegner, 80% of people who had to leave their homes as a result of extreme weather events are women.

“National public policies and international action frameworks would be more effective if the interactions between gender and the environment were taken into account to reinforce their effectiveness”, concludes the author of the article.