When it comes to climate change, women have well and truly drawn the short straw. Gender plays a huge role in not only who will be most impacted by the effects of a changing climate but also who will be more likely to take preventive action. A new study has shown that the reason why majority of men aren't adopting more sustainable behaviours is fear of looking 'feminine.' Researchers have known for a while now that women fair better than men on the sustainability scorecard. We express greater concern about climate change, and are more likely to adjust our actions accordingly by reducing our energy and meat intake. It seems ludicrous that men might not want to behave more sustainably because it's not deemed macho enough, but researchers have proved exactly this. Gender stereotypes at fault for men's lack of 'green' behaviours Professor James Wilkie and his colleagues from Notre Dame University conducted a set of experiments designed to provide an explanation for the huge gender gap between the eco-friendly behaviours of people. The series of seven studies included asking groups of students to label green products as feminine, masculine or neither. Most respondents, women included, perceived the eco-friendly items to be feminine. In one experiment, a group of 194 students were quizzed on who seemed more eco-friendly, wasteful, masculine and/or feminine – a shopper with a green reusable bag or one with a plastic sack. Majority of participants believed the shopper with the reusable bag to be more feminine & eco-friendly, while the person with the plastic bag was labelled as masculine and wasteful.

The study found overwhelming amounts of evidence that people often link environmentally conscious products with their idea of femininity. "Stereotypical feminine behaviour and attitudes are more in parallel with taking care of the environment," Professor Wilkie said of the findings. "Male traits tend to conflict with this idea of maintaining a nice environment for other people." Those who care for the environment are often perceived to be nurturing and caring. These traits go hand in hand with stereotypical femininity, and are the complete opposite of traditional masculinity.

"Stereotypical feminine behaviour and attitudes are more in parallel with taking care of the environment" - - Professor Wilkie

A tradie and a soldier walk into a vegetarian restaurant… Both my partner and brother work in roles that are stereotypically masculine, and both have had their planet-friendly choices met with criticism and ridicule from male colleagues and peers. My younger brother and I have been raised as vegetarian. Growing up, he bore far more criticism from his friends and classmates then I ever did. He's now in the Australian Defence Force, where eating a meat-free diet is practically unheard of. My partner started reducing his meat intake soon after we got together, and is now completely vegetarian. The amount of flack he received from our friends when he cut meat from his diet, albeit light-hearted, was phenomenal.