Full Breakdown
Gender Emissions Gap: New Study Links Masculine Behaviours to Higher Carbon Footprint
5/6/2026, 11:00:11 AM
Study Overview and Core Findings
A team of over 20 scholars from 13 countries published a paper in *Norma: International Journal for Masculinity Studies* titled ‘Men, masculinities and the planet at the end of (M)Anthropocene’. The review of climate research finds that, on average, men generate a larger carbon footprint than women. The gap is driven by higher travel, tourism, motor-vehicle use and meat consumption. Men also show lower concern for climate change, less participation in environmental politics, and dominate leadership in heavy-industry, agriculture and militarised sectors, especially among elite white Western men.
Background & Context
Previous work documents a gender emissions gap. A 2025 French survey of 15,000 respondents reported that men emit 26 % more greenhouse gases than women from transport and food. A 2024 study in the *Journal of Environmental Psychology* linked higher “masculinity stress” to reduced climate worry and avoidance of eco-friendly products. The new paper extends this evidence with case studies from Canadian pipeline politics, Chinese Pacific policies, Finnish pro-meat influencers, and activist movements in Africa, Latin America and the United Kingdom.
Data & Statistics
Responses & Criticism
Professor Jeff Hearn, professor of sociology at the University of Huddersfield, says the research shows clear negative impacts of some men’s behaviour on the environment and notes that this dimension is largely missing from climate policy debates. The paper also records that a minority of men are acting “urgently and energetically” to change these patterns. The authors caution against overgeneralising, pointing out that low-income men in the Global South face different constraints and that a sole focus on masculinity could oversimplify climate drivers.
Implications & Next Steps
Higher male emissions accelerate global warming, especially in high-intensity sectors. Targeting gendered consumption could cut emissions without harming overall economic activity. The authors call for systematic inclusion of gender-focused analysis in climate mitigation plans and for expanded interdisciplinary research to quantify the impact of masculine consumption across socioeconomic groups.
Verbatim Quotes
- “There is now plenty of research that shows clear negative impacts of some men’s behaviour on the environment and climate,” — Professor Jeff Hearn, University of Huddersfield
- “What is astonishing is how this aspect does not figure in most debates and policy in a more sustainable world.” — Professor Jeff Hearn
- “less concern with climate change” — (paper’s findings)
- “urgently and energetically” — (paper’s acknowledgment of proactive men)
