Men ‘create more greenhouse gas emissions than women’

Women are responsible for less greenhouse gas emissions than men because they’re more likely to walk or use public transportation, new study shows

  • A study of 50,000 New Zealand residents found men travel more in cars
  • Women take more trips, but travel for shorter distances and use public transportation or simply walk more often than men do
  •  Women are also much more likely than men to take trips to see friends

The transportation habits of men account for more greenhouse gas emissions than women, according to a new study from New Zealand.

The University of Otago, Wellington’s Dr. Caroline Shaw found that while men tended to take fewer trips, they traveled farther distances and were less likely than women to either walk or take public transportation.

This, according to Shaw, led to women having an overall ‘more diverse and lower greenhouse gas emission travel profile than men.’

A new study from New Zealand found that women are responsible for less greenhouse gas emissions than men because they’re more likely to use public transportation or walk

Shaw based her study on analysis of transportation data for 50,000 New Zealand residents collected by the New Zealand Household Travel Survey between 2002 and 2014.

She found that while women took more trips than men each day, they were for shorter distances, often three miles or less.

In comparison, men traveled between 12% and 17% longer distances than women when they went out.

Women were also more likely to take short trips to visit a friend, accompany someone else on an outing, or to go shopping, while men were less likely to take trips for social purposes.

Men were also much more likely to take a car on their trips, while women regularly used public transportation or walked.

However, women were less likely than men to bicycle to their destinations – around 5% of all the male subjects in the study reported taking regular bicycle trips, while just 2% of women were cyclists.

Women are also much more likely than men to take trips for purely social reasons, and tend to travel much shorter distances when they go out, often three miles or less

Women are also much more likely than men to take trips for purely social reasons, and tend to travel much shorter distances when they go out, often three miles or less

Shaw suggested that with improved bicycle lanes and walking paths between residential areas and shopping districts, women could be encouraged to use cars even less frequently to further lower greenhouse gas emissions.

‘These would likely require whole street/suburb changes to make them safer and more attractive to walk and cycle for the whole family and be relevant for the places that women travel between, such as shops, schools and libraries, as well as workplaces,’ Shaw told the University’s news blog.

‘These are changes that require a much greater emphasis on what is local to where people live, to facilitate activities that might be regarded as mundane.’

With improved public transportation across longer distances and better bicycle infrastructure, Shaw believes men’s travel-related greenhouse gas emissions could also be reduced.

‘There are many opportunities to make men’s travel lower carbon as well; the regular commute is the perfect trip to replace with cycling or public transport as it is predictable and regular,’ Shaw said.