A recent study in the Journal of Industrial Ecology shows that while men and women have similar spending habits, the items that men purchase produce higher carbon emissions.
According to a recent study on carbon emissions, the spending habits of men have led to larger carbon footprints than women.
The recently released study in the Journal of Industrial Ecology studied the carbon footprint created by varied “consumption” categories, including food and clothing.
Hundreds of single men and women in Sweden were involved in the study, and ultimately spent similar amounts. However, the authors of the study found that the purchases made by the men created higher emissions by 16%.
This is because those that identified as men within the study were more likely to spend money on goods that produced higher emissions, such as gasoline or choosing to drive a car during a trip.
Annika Carlsson-Kanyama, lead researcher for the study, told The Guardian that the spending habits are actually quite stereotypical.
“[W]omen spend more money on home decoration, health and clothes and men spend more money on fuel for cars, eating out, alcohol and tobacco," she told the outlet.
While there are many factors that contribute to the current state of our climate, the researchers concluded that consumers collectively making different choices daily — such as public transportation — could reduce carbon emissions by 40%.
