Environmental surveys in the Nordic countries

An environmental survey conducted with Nordic country residents shows that generally, women tend to worry more about climate change than men; more women than men think that the most important area of cooperation between the Nordic countries should be environmental and climate change issues (50% of women versus 30% of men). Nine out of ten women say they're concerned about climate change, compared to seven out of ten men. Somewhat more women also support the idea that the Nordic countries should be global leaders in climate action. Overall, most respondents said they're willing to continue sorting and recycling, buying less clothing and consumer goods, purchasing used items, and choosing environmentally-friendly transportation to reduce their environmental impact. It was particularly noticeable that more women, especially young women, are ready to eat more plant-based food, buy more used items and fewer new clothes and consumer goods than men. Young women also seem to be more prepared to engage in environmental issues than their male counterparts and are the most concerned about climate change amongst all age groups.

Environmental survey in Sweden

An environmental survey in Sweden suggests that men believe governments, industry, and corporations should bear the most responsibility for addressing environmental and climate change issues. However, women in Sweden believe that individual behavioral changes play a more significant role in responding to environmental and climate impacts, stating they often don't know the best course of action. Women also rely less on technological solutions than men in addressing climate change issues. Women are also more opposed to energy price increases and carbon taxes or other policies that increase individuals' financial burdens. This is because such policies tend to have a harsher impact on women than on men. Swedish women are more likely to feel guilty about their ecological footprint than men and try to purchase from companies and producers that support environmental and climate issues or sell environmentally-friendly and organic products. They're also willing to pay more for such products than men.

Gallup Environmental Survey 2022

The 2022 Gallup Environmental Survey suggests that there's a lot of similarity between Sweden and Iceland when it comes to individual behaviors and views on environment and climate change issues. 

Key findings from this survey indicate that roughly 46% of respondents professed to not knowing much about climate change, with men slightly more likely than women to claim extensive knowledge. About 46% found Iceland was doing too little to combat climate change, with women forming the majority who felt this way. In general, respondents were satisfied with their own efforts to contribute to environmental and climate change solutions, but men were slightly more likely to be fully satisfied with their efforts, and women more likely to be somewhat dissatisfied. Yet, many studies suggest that women are more likely to modify their behaviors for the betterment of the environment and are more willing to make sacrifices and spend more money, when compared to men. Just like in Sweden, Icelandic women tend to believe that individuals should take responsibility for actions aimed at combating global warming. Icelandic women are also slightly more likely than men to believe that authorities should take responsibility for interventions.

Icelandic women seem to harbor greater concerns than men about the effects climate change could have on their families. 10% of male respondents strongly disagreed with this idea, while such thinking was rare among women. Women also expressed more concerns about global warming, with 81% of them expressing serious concern compared to 66% of men. 12% of men claimed no concerns, but a lack of concern could not be found among women.

More Icelandic women than men claim to think often about their impact on the environment and climate change, with roughly 49% of male respondents claiming to think little about their impact compared to 39% of women. This survey supports various studies suggesting that women are more likely to want to change their behavior than men (73% of women versus 53% of men). Icelandic men believe their behavior has little or no impact on environmental and climate change issues (44% of men versus 17% of women). They're also more likely to think that globally, the public can only have very little, if any, influence on environmental and climate change issues. Male respondents were more likely than female respondents to think that news about the severity of global warming is exaggerated (28% versus 15%)

Mental load

Women seem to bear a bigger mental load when it comes to climate change issues, given that they generally have greater concerns about climate issues than men. So, the emotional burden of changing behavior and habits, adjusting their families and perhaps even their partners, tends to fall more heavily on women if efforts are not made to reach other groups. The image of the 'perfect' environmentally aware individual who sorts and recycles, repairs and mends clothing, and cooks healthy and environmentally friendly food, does not take into account that most of these tasks will fall to women.

Education and discussion

The main reasons and incentives for participants to limit their environmental footprint were education, discussion of climate change issues, the opportunity to change their behavior, good timing and financial benefits. Education and discussion of climate change issues seem to be people's main reasons for choosing more sustainable household purchases. What mostly prevents people from changing their behavior is the belief that their actions have little impact, dissatisfaction with government support, and the impression that changing their behavior is too costly. People are primarily inspired to change their behavior when they know they are helping future generations, as well as protecting Iceland and its nature for the longer term.