Petromasculinity – Defending the Fossil Fuel Industry as an Expression of Male Identity

From a linguistic perspective, communication about climate change occasionally sees the emergence of new words, terms, and expressions that can serve as diagnostic tools for identifying and revealing the dominant ideologies, attitudes, and values that shape and influence our understanding of changes in the climate system. Therefore, the emergence and popularization of such words is never accidental. They always carry a message, both implicit and explicit, and often signal a shift in the climate paradigm. Whether they criticize previously unsustainable practices such as air travel (flight shame), promote climate-responsible dietary trends (climatarian), condemn unethical business practices of companies and corporations (greenwashing/greenhushing/greenwishing), or draw attention to the dangerous impact of climate change on mental health (solastalgia, eco-anxiety) or the economic consequences of extreme climate events (climateflation). In this regard, such new words also serve as a guide indicating the direction we should take to achieve the goals of a carbon-neutral society, while at the same time, they can be understood as a form of warning, as they draw attention to hidden social, political, and ideological mechanisms that slow down or obstruct this transition.

One such term is petromasculinity. Although it first appeared in 2018, developments on the global stage since the beginning of 2026, the intersection of political, geopolitical, and economic interests, marked by Trump’s second term and the rhetoric of climate skepticism, have contributed to its renewed relevance, particularly in the context of the “Epic Rage,” that is, the American-Israeli military operation against Iran. The originator of this term, political science professor Cara Daggett, in her 2018 work published during Trump’s first term, explained petromasculinity as a toxic link among fossil fuel use, patriarchal identity, and authoritarianism.

In a broader context, Daggett analyzes the correlation between petroculture and climate change denial with racism and misogyny, as well as the rise of authoritarian regimes in the West. “Fossil fuels mean much more than profit; they contribute to shaping identity, which poses a risk to post-carbon energy policy,” Daggett states. In this regard, control over energy resources and energy infrastructure is not only a matter of managing strategic resources but also an instrument of power and national pride. Dominance over energy resources thus becomes the foundation of economic status, a means of political influence, and a key source for constructing male identity. Within contemporary theories of hegemonic masculinity, power over resources is considered the main determinant of authority. In this context, the process of decarbonization and climate policies are often perceived as a threat, not only economically but also as a destabilizing factor for social hierarchies, male and national identities. In this sense, petromasculinity represents a gender ideology that affirms the fossil fuel industry and resists the green transition as a mechanism for defending male identity.

IN FOCUS:

• E-Mobility in Slovenia: Home Charging as the Key to Inclusive E-Mobility
• Automotive Industry in Serbia: Steady Growth with a Slow Transition
• E-mobility Demands a Synergy of Technology, Regulations, and Investments

Male Lifestyle – More Carbon-Intensive

The extent to which the issue of the energy mix and climate policies is actually gender-conditioned and ideologically shaped is also indicated by a number of studies. Daggett notes that in the United States, “the most vocal opponents of climate science and leading advocates of fossil fuels in the West are white conservative men – regardless of class affiliation.” Similar results were also presented in the Norwegian study Cool Dudes in Norway, which highlights the phenomenon of denial of anthropogenic climate change among about 63 percent of conservative, right-leaning Norwegian men who deny that human activities (the burning of fossil fuels) have contributed to increased emissions and global warming, often linked to a tendency to preserve an oil-based energy order.

However, in this context, it is also interesting to consider the role of the gender dimension in pollution levels. If greenhouse gas emissions are analyzed from a gender perspective, significant differences emerge in the shares attributed to men and women. Two major studies from France and Sweden have shown that there is a gender imbalance in emissions, meaning that men have a larger carbon footprint than women, particularly in the categories of transport and diet. These research findings are not interpreted in light of biological needs or socially embedded roles, but primarily in the context of different lifestyles and consumption patterns – male habits: barbecues and cars (men consume more red meat and drive longer and more frequently).

In 2024, the World Meteorological Organization warned that climate change is not gender-neutral and emphasized that girls and women are disproportionately exposed to risks and consequences in the form of extreme climate events, droughts, and water scarcity, and that by 2050, it is projected that 158 million girls and women will be affected by poverty, which is 16 million more than men.

Jovana Vurdelja

The story was published in Energy portal Magazine ECOMOBILITY