What is the Eco-Gender Gap?

Feb 12, 2024 | Scarlett Stokes
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The responsibility for saving the world from the ravages of climate change should not be a gendered issue. However, multiple studies have found that women, more than men, engage in pro-environmental behaviours. 

This phenomenon has been termed the ‘eco gender gap’ by Mintel, following their findings that, in contrast to the 71% of UK women committed to more eco-friendly living, 59% of UK men committed the same. This disparity is significant and replicable, seen in studies ranging from the willingness to cut down on red meat consumption, to a Swedish study finding a higher use of ‘consumption-related’ energy in men. Even with products considered to have ‘gender neutral marketing’, women form the majority of the customer base, with online zero-waste retailers Plastic Freedom and Package Free Shop reporting women forming 90% of their customer base.