The gender gap in carbon footprints: determinants and implications

Berland, Ondine and Leroutier, Marion (2025) The gender gap in carbon footprints: determinants and implications. Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment Working Papers (424). Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, London School of Economics and Political Science, London, UK.

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Abstract

Understanding the distribution of carbon footprints across population groups is crucial for designing fair and acceptable climate policies. Using granular consumption data from France, we quantify the gender gap in carbon footprints related to food and transport and investigate its underlying drivers. We show that women emit 26% less carbon than men in these two sectors, which together account for half of the average individual carbon footprint. Socioeconomic factors, biological differences and gender differences in distances traveled explain part of the gap, but up to 38% remains unexplained. Red meat and car — high-emission goods often associated with male identity — account for most of the residual, highlighting the role of gender differences in preferences in shaping disparities in carbon footprints.

Item Type:	Monograph (Working Paper)
Official URL:	https://www.lse.ac.uk/granthaminstitute/publicatio...
Additional Information:	© 2025 The Author(s)
Divisions:	Geography and Environment
Subjects:	G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GE Environmental Sciences H Social Sciences > HC Economic History and Conditions H Social Sciences > HQ The family. Marriage. Woman
JEL classification:	Q - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics > Q5 - Environmental Economics > Q54 - Climate; Natural Disasters Q - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics > Q5 - Environmental Economics > Q57 - Ecological Economics: Ecosystem Services; Biodiversity Conservation; Bioeconomics
Date Deposited:	23 Jun 2025 10:24
Last Modified:	23 Jun 2025 23:15
URI:	http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/128512

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