There are significant differences in men's and women's consumption of energy. These are the conclusions of a newly released report by Annika Carlsson Kanyama, research director at FOI.  Thus, she claims that a gender perspective is necessary for all decision processes aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

In the newly published report, "Comparing Energy Use by Gender, Age and Income in Some European Countries," results showed that in two of the four countries that were studied, men consumed more energy than women and the main differences were in the areas of energy consumption for transportation, eating out, alcohol and tobacco.  The study examined men's and women's consumption-related energy usage in four European countries (Greece, Norway, Germany and Sweden). Men spend more money than women on automobile purchases and fuel, which explains their higher total energy usage within the transport sector.

Of the four countries studied, the biggest differences that were observed between women and men were in Greece and Sweden. Men consumed 70-80 percent more energy than women on transportation in both Germany and Norway, 100 percent more in Sweden and 350 percent more in Greece.

"One interesting conclusion from the study is that the significant differences between men's and women's energy usage for transportation seem to hold true for many European countries. As such, the issue deserves attention at the EU level," says Annika Carlsson Kanyama.

The study also shows that single households with children consume more energy than single households without children. Energy usage also increased linearly with the level of income, which has been established in several previous studies. In this study, carbon dioxide emissions for Swedish single women and men were calculated and the results show that carbon dioxide emission for men is approximately 11 tons per year, compared to approximately 9 tons per year for women. Carbon dioxide intensity increased along with income, which is primarily explained by the fact that men purchase more carbon dioxide intensive services for recreation, such as travel, when they have a higher level of income.

The report discusses both the need for additional studies in order to better be able to quantify the importance of the gender factor in relation to other things, such as type of living accommodations or income. However, it also emphasizes the importance of including a gender perspective when designing control mechanisms to reduce emissions, such as in the transport sector. Should campaigns to drive conservatively and purchase energy-efficient automobiles be designed to primarily reach men in order to obtain the best results?

"Many previous studies have also shown that there are differences in the attitudes of men and women in terms of how concerned they are about climate change and what should be done in order to limit it. On the whole, women are more concerned than men and more inclined to see measures implemented. This is also something that we should consider when planning policy measures to reduce emissions – quite simply, we should consider how we can more effectively reach men throughout the entire EU with the message that emissions from transports and other activities need to be reduced," says .

Read the report: Comparing Energy Use by Gender, Age and Income in Some European Countries, by Annika Carlsson Kanyama