Car use and meat consumption drive emissions gender gap, research suggests

Gender norms explain the difference in pollution, a co-author of the study said, even when accounting for men eating more calories and travelling more. Photograph: Patti McConville/Alamy

Cars and meat are major factors driving a gender gap in greenhouse gas emissions, new research suggests.

Men emit 26% more planet-heating pollution than women from transport and food, according to a preprint study of 15,000 people in France. The gap shrinks to 18% after controlling for socioeconomic factors such as income and education.