Beyond Efficiency: Health, Jobs, and Security Gains from Residential Energy Demand Reduction

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Here we assess the health, energy security and employment co-benefits of residential LED pathways through 2050, in the UK and India, two countries with very different socio-economic contexts. We combine the MESSAGEix-Buildings model with air pollution and employment impact assessments to compare a LED pathway with a reference scenario. We show that show that demand side strategies can simultaneously advance climate mitigation, public health, energy security and employment: LED strategies reduce residential energy demand by 53% in both countries while delivering well-being gains beyond energy savings. In the UK, LED measures generate strong employment growth (+ 36%) and health improvements, reducing premature mortality by 12%. In India, the largest benefits arise from reduced energy import dependence (-16%) and job creation (+ 16%). Earth and environmental sciences/Environmental social sciences Scientific community and society/Energy and society Co-benefits Well-being Employment Health Net-zero Transition Energy Security Figures Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5 Main Low Energy Demand (LED) approaches remain underexplored in both research and policy decision discourse, despite their potential to substantially reduce energy demand while strengthening energy security and improving well-being 1 , 2 . Contemporary decarbonization scenarios continue to prioritize supply-side solutions, such as renewable energy deployment and electrification, while devoting comparatively little attention to demand-side measures and their capacity to deliver simultaneous climate change mitigation and societal co-benefits, including improved health, enhanced well-being, greater energy security, and job creation 3 , 4 . As a result, both policy interest and investments in demand-side solutions remain limited. A key barrier to the integration of demand-side measures into decarbonization policy packages is the lack of robust evidence of the physical magnitude of their well-being impacts. Recent estimates suggest that integrating climate and human development objectives within public expenditure framework could improve spending efficiency by up to 37% compared with addressing these objectives in isolation 5 . At the same time, the investment needed to achieve a global net-zero transition is estimated at approximately USD150 trillion per year by 2050 6 . Yet, empirical studies assessing whether LED strategies can simultaneously reduce energy demand and improve well-being across different world regions remains scarce and are limited to a few countries 7 , 8 . Although sectoral analyses frequently estimate energy savings from demand-side interventions, they rarely capture the full range of impacts and typically overlook implications for human well-being 8 . Consequently, the extent to which LED strategies can deliver both energy demand reductions and improve well-being across diverse regional contexts remains unclear. This lack of evidence is particularly alarming in the buildings sector and for countries in Global South. Buildings account for one third of energy demand globally, 70% of which associated with residential buildings 9 . Recent events, such as the 2022 European energy crisis have demonstrated that demand-side solutions can play a crucial role in rapidly reducing energy demand from buildings 10 . At the same time, many Global South countries face a fundamental tension between reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and increasing consumption to achieve decent living standards and broader development goals 8 . Achieving the 1.5°C target in these contexts requires harnessing the large mitigation potential in buildings, estimated at around 5 GtCO 2 11 . Demand-side solutions therefore offer a unique opportunity to limit energy demand growth while improving well-being, enabling progress towards multiple sustainable development goals. In this paper, we address a key gap in the energy scenario literature by demonstrating the universal relevance and magnitude of LED-induced well-being benefits across diverse socio-economic settings. We provide the first comprehensive quantification and, where feasible, monetization of key well-being outcomes associated with residential low energy demand interventions. Our analysis focuses on two contrasting contexts: the UK, representing the Global North, and India, representing the Global South. We examine a core set of LED measure in residential buildings, including high-efficiency renovations, high-efficiency new construction, and access to clean, energy-efficient appliances. We assess impacts across three central dimensions of well-being: health, energy security, and employment. To quantify the benefits associated with LED measures in residential buildings in India and the UK, we compare energy demand trajectories under two scenarios-a Reference scenario and a Low Energy Demand (LED) scenario - using the MESSAGEix-Buildings model 12 . The scenarios represent contrasting levels of ambition in the implementation of demand-side energy efficiency strategies through 2050. The Reference scenario, aligned with the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSP2), assumes a continuation of current trends and policies, resulting in moderate efficiency improvements. By contrast, the LED scenario envisions a rapid acceleration of efficiency gains and demand reductions, enabled by technological innovation and strong policy support. Given the substantial differences in climatic conditions, building stocks, and development trajectories between India and the UK, the LED measures modelled differ by country. In the UK, the LED pathway emphasizes nearly zero-energy standards for new buildings, deep renovation of the existing stock, a doubling of renovation rates, widespread deployment of heat pumps, electrification of space heating, and improvements in appliance efficiency. In India, LED measures focus on passive cooling strategies, such as cool roofs, shading, and improved insulation, a shift from air conditioning to evaporative cooling in dry regions, deployment of efficient heating and cooling systems, a transition to clean cooking fuels, and increased access to efficient household appliances. Our findings yield two key insights. First, LED measures do not only significantly reduce energy demand, but also generate substantial co-benefits that, in many cases, outweigh those associated with energy savings alone, particularly in the domains of health and employment. These results reinforce that LED strategies are not merely climate mitigation tools, but powerful levers for improving quality of life and enhancing economic resilience across diverse contexts. In an era of rising energy insecurity and labour market pressures, LED measures offer a pathway toward a more inclusive and socially grounded energy transition. Second, LED measures in the residential sector, particularly deep renovation, high-efficiency new construction, and access to clean, energy-efficient appliances, deliver a broad suite of well-being co-benefits. Beyond reducing energy consumption, these measures improve thermal comfort and indoor air quality through enhanced building envelops, improved ventilation and air filtration, and reduced emissions from heating and cooking. These improvements lower indoor pollutant concentrations and limit the penetration of outdoor contaminants, thereby reducing the risk of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases and other pollution-related health outcomes. Improved health outcomes, in turn, support higher productivity and increased disposable income. At the same time, lower energy demand reduces reliance on energy imports and decreases household utility costs, contributing to energy security, alleviating energy poverty, and strengthening economic resilience. While LED measures, such as building retrofits and high-efficiency construction, requires upfront investment, these costs should not be viewed solely as a societal burden. Instead, they represent a significant opportunity for job creation across the construction, manufacturing, and renovation value chains, stimulating employment and broader economic activity. Method We quantify well-being using objective indicators across three key dimensions: health, energy security, and employment. Together, these dimensions capture a eudaimonic conception of well-being, which emphasizes the conditions that enable individuals and societies to flourish and is widely recognized as a central objective of economic development, social policy, and energy transitions. We focus on these dimensions for three main reasons: first, health, employment, and energy security represent universal policy priorities, relevant across economic, geographic, or political contexts. They reflect fundamental determinants of human well-being and resonate strongly with both policymakers and the public. Second, while these dimensions are often linked to subjective well-being outcomes, subjective indicators are rarely incorporated directly into energy or climate policy decisions. By contrast, this study provides quantifiable physical metrices and, where feasible, monetary evaluations, making the results more actionable for policy analysis. Third, by focusing on these three dimensions, we establish a conservative lower-bound estimates of the well-being benefits associated with LED measure. This provides a robust baseline that can be extended in future work to integrate additional well-being dimensions, such as thermal comfort, energy poverty alleviation, and social equity. There is no single standardized method for quantifying these drivers of well-being, particularly in the context of LED scenarios and long-term projections. Our approach therefore integrates multiple, complementary methods, aligned with the outputs of the MESSAGEix-Buildings model. We proceed in two main steps. First, we project residential energy demand under two contrasting scenarios - Reference and Low Energy Demand (LED) - for India and the UK using MESSAGEix-Buildings integrated assessment approach 13 . The Reference scenario reflects a continuation of current trends and policies with moderate efficiency improvements, while the LED scenario envisions a rapid acceleration of efficiency gains and demand reductions driven by technological innovation and strong policy support through 2050. Second, we estimate country-specific co-benefits associated with these scenarios using tailored methodologies for each well-being dimension. A brief overview of each approach is provided below (see Supplementary Information (SI) for full methodological details): Health impacts are assessed for both indoor and outdoor air pollution exposure. Outdoor exposure-related health impacts are estimated by integrating MESSAGEix-Buildings outputs into the GAINS model 14 . For indoor exposure, we estimate the population living in energy-efficient buildings under each scenario and apply country-specific data to calculate active days lost (a composite of absenteeism and presenteeism) 15 . These values are then adjusted for disease-specific risk reductions to estimate active days gained under LED relative to the Reference scenario. Energy security is evaluated using the simulation tool developed by Bento et al. 16 , who capture the impacts of demand-side interventions on final energy use, electricity demand, and activity levels. These outputs are used to estimate changes in primary energy use and fuel mix, reflecting the cascading effects of efficiency improvements. Employment impacts are estimated using country-specific employment multipliers, covering both direct and indirect jobs. Direct employment includes jobs generated in construction, architecture, and engineering, while indirect employment accounts for supply chain jobs in manufacturing, public administration, IT, and financial services. Sectoral investment shares are based on Brown et al. 17 , focusing exclusively on residential energy efficiency. UK multipliers and full-time equivalent (FTE) effects are sourced from the UK Office for National Statistics 18 , while Indian multipliers are derived from Sinha et al. 19 , adjusted for labour productivity growth using projections from van Dijk 20 . Figure 1 summarizes the conceptual framework underpinning our analysis, illustrating how residential LED interventions, such as high-efficiency renovations and new construction, translate into improved indoor air quality, reduced energy expenditures, and enhanced energy security. These intermediate outcomes generate improvements in health, disposable income, and job creation across the construction and energy value chains. The framework applies to both a Global North context (UK) and a Global South context (India), highlighting the universal relevance of LED measures for enhancing well-being across diverse socio-economic settings. A detailed methodological framework is discussed in the supplementary section. Results Energy demand projections The projected evolution of the building stock differs substantially between the two countries. In India, rapid population growth combined with rising per-capita floor space leads to a doubling of total floor area between 2020 and 2050, with newly constructed buildings accounting for nearly two-thirds of the stock by mid-century. Under the LED scenario, stringent building codes accelerate the uptake of advanced, nearly zero-energy buildings, in sharp contrast to the Reference scenario. In the UK, floor space growth is marginal, and most of the 2050 building stock consists of structures already standing in 2020. While only around one-third of this stock undergoes renovation under the Reference scenario, the LED pathway doubles renovation rates and enforces deep retrofit standards, leading to widespread adoption of nearly zero-energy performance in both new and existing buildings. Figure 2 illustrates the substantial energy savings achieved through the implementation of demand-side strategies. By 2050, final energy demand in the building sector is reduced by 53% in the UK and 52% in India relative to the Reference scenario. However, the drivers of these reductions differ fundamentally. In India, the largest savings occur in cooling (-74%), cooking (-43%), hot water (-43%), and appliances (-40%). In the UK, reductions are dominated by space heating (-61%) and hot water demand (-58%). Demand-side action reduces mortality and morbidity Besides substantial energy savings, demand-side measures deliver significant health benefits by reducing exposure to both outdoor and indoor air pollutants. In India, premature mortality and morbidity under the Reference scenario reach 1.27 million deaths and 7,079 million active days lost in 2030, increasing to 1.60 million deaths and 7,639 million active days in 2050. Under the LED scenario, these impacts decline to 1.26 million deaths and 6,718 million active days lost in 2030, and to 1.56 million deaths and 6,579 million days in 2050. This corresponds to cumulative reductions of 13,531 and 61,683 premature deaths, and 361 and 1,060 million active days lost in 2030 and 2050, respectively, primarily driven by building-sector measures such as the adoption of clean cooking technologies (Fig. 3, upper panel). In the UK, the Reference scenario results in 25.41 thousand premature deaths and 279 million active days lost in 2030, and 23.73 thousand deaths and 296 million days in 2050. Implementation of the LED pathways reduces these impacts to 23.86 thousand deaths and 239 million days in 2030, and to 20.89 thousand deaths and 229 million days in 2050. These reductions correspond to 1,553 and 2,841 fewer premature deaths, and 40 and 67 million fewer active days lost in 2030 and 2050, respectively, with the largest gains arising from clean residential heating (Fig. 3, lower panel). In India, the economic cost of premature‑death were USD 648 billion in 2020 and are projected to increase by 26% by 2030 and almost double by 2050 under the Reference scenario - equivalent to 6% and 3% of projected GDP in 2030 and 2050 respectively . LED measures reduce these costs by USD 9 billion in 2030 and USD 39 billion in 2050 (Fig. 3f). Economic losses from reduced active days were USD 46 million in 2020 and are expected to increase by 13% and 35% by 2030 and 2050. Under LED, these losses fall by 6% and 15% relative to Reference (Refer to SI Table S3). In the UK, premature‑death costs were USD 66 billion in 2020 and decline by 23% by 2030 and 28% by 2050 in the Reference scenario- 1.9% and 1.1% of GDP. LED yields additional reductions of USD 3 billion in 2030 and USD 6 billion in 2050 respectively (Fig. 3d). Active‑days costs USD 16 million in 2020, rise by 6% and 19% by 2030 and 2050 under Reference, but fall by 22% under LED by 2050 (Fig. 3h) a-d) Health impacts of building-sector strategies in India (upper panel, millions) and the UK (lower panel, thousands) for 2030, 2040, and 2050. e-h) Economic benefits of the LED scenario estimated using the Value of Statistical Life (VSL) approach for India and the UK . Red bars represent the difference between Reference and LED scenarios, representing positive monetary benefits from air quality improvements driven by LED measures. Stronger energy security with less energy The evolution of final energy consumption is a critical determinant of a country’s vulnerability to energy shocks and a key component of energy security. Between 2020 and 2050, final energy consumption declines more substantially under the LED scenario than under Reference scenario in both countries, with larger reductions in the UK (23%) compared to India (16%) (versus 11% and 2%, respectively, under Reference scenario). A major driver of these dynamics is the improvement in final energy intensity. Under LED, energy intensity falls from 3.08 EJ/trillion USD to 0.68 EJ/trillion USD in India and from 2.17 EJ/trillion USD to 0.92 EJ/trillion USD in the UK (compared to 0.82 and 1.06 EJ/trillion USD under Reference scenario). Improvement in India is more dramatic, reflecting technological leapfrogging and accelerated institutional and infrastructural development (Table 1). Primary energy savings are more pronounced in the UK, reaching 23% under LED, compared to 16% in India. However, India experiences greater savings in energy expenditures-73% compared to 54% in the UK due to strong electrification, increased reliance on domestic renewable energy, and reduced dependence on imported fossil fuels. The share of fossil fuels in total primary energy declines modestly in the UK, from 84% to 79% under LED (a 5-percentage-point reduction, one point greater than under Reference scenario). In India, the share decreases slightly from 76% to 74% under LED, though SSP2 achieves a larger reduction to 67%. These shifts contribute to lower energy import dependency, which falls from 79% to 72% in the UK (two points lower than in Reference scenario) and from 48% to 27% in India (a 10-point greater reduction than Reference scenario). Overall, the LED scenario improves multiple dimensions of energy security, access, continuity, and environmental sustainability, relative to reference scenario, though the magnitude varies by indicator and country. The UK sees stronger gains in energy intensity and primary energy savings, while India benefits more from expenditure savings and reduced import dependency. Demand-side Investment Generates Substantial Direct and Indirect Jobs Investment in LED measures generate substantial employment benefits in both countries. In the UK, LED-related investments are projected to create approximately 4 million cumulative direct and indirect full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs by 2050 (Fig. 4). For India, the impact is even more pronounced, with nearly 30 million cumulative FTE jobs projected by 2050. In the UK, formal employment in the construction sector, including management and non-labour roles, is estimated at 2.6 million employees in 2025: Reference scenario employment increases to 2.75 million by 2029, equivalent to around 48,000 new construction jobs per year 21 . Under the LED scenario, on average an additional 46,000 direct jobs would be created annually between 2030 and 2050 in construction and related services. In India, the construction sector employed approximately 71 million workers in 2025 22 . Additional 10.5 million direct jobs would be created in construction and related services by 2050, driven by residential energy efficiency investments. Similarly, India’s manufacturing sector, employing 68.5 million workers in 2023, is expected to gain 14 million jobs by 2050 from LED-related investments. For both India and UK, most of these jobs will be created through indirect job, particularly in the electrical machinery and tools industry along with the construction industry. The employment estimates show that the additional jobs are mostly coming from indirect jobs; 71% and 65% for Uk and India respectively. These figures underscore the potential of LED strategies to act as a catalyst for job creation, particularly in labour-intensive sectors, while supporting broader economic development objectives. Employment considerations have so far focused on the demand-side: the jobs induced by the specific energy efficiency interventions associated with deep energy renovation and high efficiency construction. Yet, LED interventions in buildings will result in lower energy demand and increase electrification. As such, they will also affect the level and type of employment in the energy sector, whose energy supply will change 23 . These supply-side employment effects are additional to the direct and indirect job creation effects described so far. Adding three drivers of well-being and demand reduction : Our results indicate that LED measures generate significant well-being co-benefits beyond energy savings, spanning health, energy security, and employment in both countries, although the magnitude and distribution of benefits differ between India and in the UK. Health gains arise from improved indoor air quality, reduced exposure to pollutants, and access to clean heating and cooking, leading to avoided premature deaths and increased active days, especially among vulnerable urban populations. Energy security improves through lower fossil fuel dependence and reduced import reliance, with India achieving the largest relative gains due to its high import vulnerability. These shifts enhance resilience to global energy price volatility, a critical policy priority for emerging economies. Employment benefits result from increased demand for labour-intensive construction and manufacturing activities, reflecting the job creation potential of deep renovation and high efficiency building interventions. Figure 5 summarizes relative improvements in well-being indicators under the LED scenario compared with the Reference case (base = 100). In the UK, the most pronounced improvements are observed in final energy demand (53%), reflecting systemic efficiency gains, and employment (36%), underscoring the economic potential of residential retrofits and high-efficiency construction. Health benefits are also significant compared to Reference scenario, with avoided premature deaths (12%) and active days gained (23%), driven by improved indoor air quality and access to clean heating. Energy security indicators show moderate but meaningful improvements, including reductions in fossil fuel share (11%) and import dependency (8%). In India, the pattern is broadly similar but with distinct priorities. While reductions in final energy demand (53%) match those of the UK, the largest co-benefits emerge in import dependency (16%) and employment (16%), reflecting the developmental importance of reducing reliance on imported fuels and expanding labour-intensive construction and manufacturing sectors. Health gains, though positive, are smaller in relative term than in the UK with avoided premature deaths (3%) and active days gained (14%). This aligns with evidence that air pollution disproportionately affects disadvantaged populations in low‑ and middle‑income countries 24 , highlighting inequities not addressed by demand-side energy reductions alone. Economic indicators, such as savings in primary energy demand (14%) and energy expenditures (2%), further reinforce the cost-effectiveness of LED strategies in both contexts. Discussion Despite the residential building sector accounting for a significant share of global energy demand, the well-being co-benefits of LED measures remain underexplored and under-quantified in energy scenario analysis. By comparing Reference and LED pathways for India and the UK, our analysis demonstrates that residential demand-side strategies deliver substantial physical and monetary benefits across three critical dimensions of well-being- health, energy security, and employment, while achieving deep reductions in energy demand. Importantly, these co-benefits are not marginal; in several cases, their economic value rivals or exceeds direct energy savings, underscoring that LED measures should be framed not as cost burdens but as high-return societal investments. The differentiated outcomes observed across the UK and India highlight both the universal relevance of LED strategies and the need for context-specific policy design. In a mature energy system such as the UK, deep renovation and high-efficiency construction yield strong improvements in energy intensity and employment, alongside significant health gains. In contrast, India’s LED pathway delivers particularly large benefits in energy security and labour-intensive job creation, reflecting the developmental importance of reducing import dependence while expanding access to efficient and clean residential services. Together, these findings challenge the perception that demand-side measures primarily serve global climate objectives with limited local value, revealing them instead as powerful levers for advancing national development priorities alongside decarbonization. At the same time, our results expose a structural limitation of prevailing integrated assessment models (IAMs), which remain predominantly supply-oriented and typically represent demand-side measures as exogenous efficiency improvements rather than as active drivers of social welfare. This modelling bias obscures the role of LED strategies in generating health improvements, employment, and energy security gains, and helps explain why well-being considerations remain peripheral in climate policy design. By explicitly quantifying these outcomes, our analysis shows that demand-side interventions are not merely cost-minimizing complements to supply-side decarbonization, but central to delivering socially robust and welfare-enhancing net-zero pathways. This underrepresentation of demand-side benefits in modelling frameworks has direct implications for national investment strategies. Current net-zero pathways continue to prioritize energy supply infrastructure, while underinvesting in residential efficiency, renovation, and clean household technologies. When health, employment, and energy security co-benefits are accounted for, LED measures emerge as high-return investments, particularly in labour-intensive and import-dependent economies, capable of reducing energy demand, improving household welfare, and stimulating domestic economic activity. Embedding well-being metrics into energy modelling and public investment appraisal frameworks could therefore improve the efficiency, equity, and political durability of climate strategies, aligning decarbonization goals with tangible socio-economic gains experienced by households and communities. Declarations Data availability: All data supporting the findings of this study are publicly available on Zenodo under the following DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18465327 . Please cite the dataset as: Chatterjee, S., Mastrucci, A., Zhang, J., Johnson-Wang, M., Verdolini, E., Purohit, P., Kiesewetter, G., Boza-Kiss, B., Zhang, S., Bento, N., & Ürge-Vorsatz, D. (2026). Beyond Efficiency: Health, Jobs, and Security Gains from Residential Energy Demand Reduction - Dataset (Version V01) [Data set]. Zenodo . https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18465327 . Acknowledgement: This work is an outcome of Energy Demand changes Induced by Technological and Social innovations (EDITS)-co-benefits fast track project within the EDITS project, which is an initiative coordinated by the Research Institute of Innovative Technology for the Earth (RITE) and the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), and funded by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), Japan. The authors are grateful for Prof.Joyashyee Roy for her guidance and feedback on finalizing the employment assessment. References Sharmina M et al (2025) Policymaker-led scenarios and public dialogue facilitate energy demand analysis for net-zero futures. Nat Energy. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41560-025-01898-3 van Heerden R et al (2025) Demand-side strategies enable rapid and deep cuts in buildings and transport emissions to 2050. Nat Energy 10:380–394 Sugiyama M et al (2024) High with low: Harnessing the power of demand-side solutions for high wellbeing with low energy and material demand. Joule 8:1–6 Demand, Services and Social Aspects of Mitigation (2023) Climate Change 2022 - Mitigation of Climate Change. Cambridge University Press, pp 503–612. 10.1017/9781009157926.007 United Nations. Harnessing Climate and SDG Synergy Quantifying the Benefits- THIRD GLOBAL REPORT ON CLIMATE AND SDGS SYNERGIES, 2025 (2025) IRENA. World Energy Transitions Outlook 2023 (2023) Bleyl JW, Bareit M, Casas MA, Chatterjee S, Coolen J, Hulshoff A, rge-Vorsatz D (2019) Office building deep energy retrofit: life cycle cost benefit analyses using cash flow analysis and multiple benefits on project level. Energy Effic 12:261–279 Chatterjee S et al (2024) Balancing energy transition: Assessing decent living standards and future energy demand in the Global South. Energy Res Soc Sci 118:103757 IEA. Energy Efficiency 2025 (2025) Laakso S (2025) Energy-Saving Practices at a Time of Crisis: Insights for Energy Sufficiency in Homes. Hous Theory Soc 42:662–678 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) (2023) Climate Change 2021 – The Physical Science Basis. Cambridge University Press. 10.1017/9781009157896 Mastrucci A, van Ruijven B, Byers E, Poblete-Cazenave M, Pachauri S (2021) Global scenarios of residential heating and cooling energy demand and CO2 emissions. Clim Change 168:14 Mastrucci A, van Ruijven B, Byers E, Poblete-Cazenave M, Pachauri S (2021) Global scenarios of residential heating and cooling energy demand and CO2 emissions. Clim Change 168:14 Amann M et al (2020) Reducing global air pollution: the scope for further policy interventions. Philosophical Trans Royal Soc A: Math Phys Eng Sci 378:20190331 Chatterjee S, Ürge-Vorsatz D (2021) Measuring the productivity impacts of energy-efficiency: The case of high-efficiency buildings. J Clean Prod 318:128535 Bento N et al (2024) Leverage demand-side policies for energy security. Sci (1979) 383:946–949 Brown MA, Soni A, Li Y (2020) Estimating employment from energy-efficiency investments. MethodsX 7:100955 UK Office for National Statistics. UK Input-Output Analytical Tables: Product by Product (2022) Sinha A (2015) P. A., J. R. Employment Dimension of Infrastructure Investment State Level Input–Output Analysis. van Dijk (2013) Michiel. Productivity growth at the sectoral level: measurement and projections. in 16th Annual Conference on Global Economic Analysis CITB.. THE CONSTRUCTION WORKFORCE OUTLOOK: UNITED KINGDOM. (2025) ILO. Creating Opportunities for Women in Construction in India: A Call for Action (2025) Pai S, Emmerling J, Drouet L, Zerriffi H, Jewell J (2021) Meeting well-below 2°C target would increase energy sector jobs globally. One Earth 4:1026–1036 Rentschler J, Leonova N (2023) Global air pollution exposure and poverty. Nat Commun 14:4432 Table 1 Table 1: Comparison of UK and India’s fossil fuel share, import dependency, and energy intensity under different scenarios. UK India Base 2019 Reference 050 LED_2050 Base 2019 Reference _2050 LED_2050 Share of fossil fuels [%] 84% 81% 79% 76% 67% 74% Import dependency [%] 79% 74% 72% 48% 37% 27% Final energy intensity [EJ/trillion USD] 2.17 1.06 0.92 3.08 0.82 0.68 Savings in primary energy demand [base=100]* 100 111 123 100 102 116 Savings in energy expenditures on GDP [base=100]* 100 150 154 100 170 173 Additional Declarations There is NO Competing Interest. Supplementary Files Supplementarymaterial23.01.26.docx Beyond Efficiency: Health, Jobs, and Security Gains from Residential Energy Demand Reduction Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8773840","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":595908059,"identity":"af3ba3fd-108e-410d-adb6-c2875dbc9cf3","order_by":0,"name":"Souran Chatterjee","email":"data:image/png;base64,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","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3500-6061","institution":"University of Plymouth","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Souran","middleName":"","lastName":"Chatterjee","suffix":""},{"id":595908060,"identity":"4768f318-7ff2-4fe9-b994-4ac79bf711ee","order_by":1,"name":"Alessio Mastrucci","email":"","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5611-7780","institution":"International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Alessio","middleName":"","lastName":"Mastrucci","suffix":""},{"id":595908061,"identity":"40ff73f8-00db-4cf2-a208-140018966805","order_by":2,"name":"Jingjing Zhang","email":"","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5671-8383","institution":"Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Jingjing","middleName":"","lastName":"Zhang","suffix":""},{"id":595908062,"identity":"5ed050ad-1101-4225-a3d9-0a3ce3ad7014","order_by":3,"name":"Michelle Johnson-Wang","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of California, Berkeley","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Michelle","middleName":"","lastName":"Johnson-Wang","suffix":""},{"id":595908063,"identity":"10f11bcf-c677-49a0-9e9a-123eb2669718","order_by":4,"name":"Elena Elena Verdolini","email":"","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7140-1053","institution":"University of Brescia","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Elena","middleName":"Elena","lastName":"Verdolini","suffix":""},{"id":595908064,"identity":"4c3978d8-4aff-4221-9a9a-920b99324de6","order_by":5,"name":"Pallav Purohit","email":"","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7265-6960","institution":"International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Pallav","middleName":"","lastName":"Purohit","suffix":""},{"id":595908065,"identity":"bb1a9a49-9a0e-4727-8f6d-79682da2bbcf","order_by":6,"name":"Gregor Kiesewetter","email":"","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9369-9812","institution":"International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Gregor","middleName":"","lastName":"Kiesewetter","suffix":""},{"id":595908066,"identity":"6e3f6ffa-d42a-41a1-a9a1-8d9135ed38cd","order_by":7,"name":"Benigna Boza-Kiss","email":"","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4005-2481","institution":"International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Benigna","middleName":"","lastName":"Boza-Kiss","suffix":""},{"id":595908067,"identity":"507e94b1-0dce-40cf-b7e3-575364da8432","order_by":8,"name":"Shaohui Zhang","email":"","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2487-8574","institution":"Beihang University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Shaohui","middleName":"","lastName":"Zhang","suffix":""},{"id":595908068,"identity":"f1381ab9-1d13-4358-90ac-09cf92627866","order_by":9,"name":"Nuno Bento","email":"","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5923-0666","institution":"Instituto Universitário de Lisboa","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Nuno","middleName":"","lastName":"Bento","suffix":""},{"id":595908069,"identity":"d89042c7-4c37-45ad-ad5c-d244afd3277c","order_by":10,"name":"Diana Ürge-Vorsatz","email":"","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2570-5341","institution":"Central European University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Diana","middleName":"","lastName":"Ürge-Vorsatz","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2026-02-03 09:42:15","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8773840/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8773840/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":103507553,"identity":"4d2b303a-7259-4f1f-a48e-c8a57d74905d","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-02-26 13:41:55","extension":"png","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":337724,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eImpact pathway of residential Low Energy Demand (LED) measures on well-being.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"floatimage1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8773840/v1/edc58a3337790a044992354d.png"},{"id":103507913,"identity":"554d66cd-7f5e-460c-beb0-0a02ea6e81dc","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-02-26 13:46:27","extension":"png","order_by":2,"title":"Figure 2","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":458802,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eProjected final energy consumption\u003c/strong\u003e by end use in India and the United Kingdom, 2020-2050, under Reference and Low Energy Demand (LED) scenarios. Stacked area charts show Final energy consumption in EJ/year from appliances, cooking, cooling, space heating and water heating. Panel B: Energy savings in the LED scenario compared to the Reference scenario in 2050. In both countries, the LED scenario results in substantially lower final energy consumption compared with the Reference scenario.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"floatimage2.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8773840/v1/c9bf31d56b8c5b90746dc417.png"},{"id":103471729,"identity":"7234a4bd-f7f8-455f-8d3e-d61e1b653ef2","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-02-26 05:57:42","extension":"png","order_by":3,"title":"Figure 3","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":82827,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eHealth and economic impacts of LED measures in the residential building sector in India and the UK.\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003cstrong\u003ea-d)\u003c/strong\u003e Health impacts of building-sector strategies in India (upper panel, millions) and the UK (lower panel, thousands) for 2030, 2040, and 2050.\u003cstrong\u003ee-h)\u003c/strong\u003e Economic benefits of the LED scenario estimated using the Value of Statistical Life (VSL) approach for \u003cstrong\u003eIndia\u003c/strong\u003e and the\u003cstrong\u003e UK\u003c/strong\u003e. Red bars represent the difference between Reference and LED scenarios, representing positive monetary benefits from air quality improvements driven by LED measures.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"floatimage3.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8773840/v1/f50ff1eebbee146a019885a1.png"},{"id":103507278,"identity":"3196f297-3409-48a0-b5b7-6e315f1d9435","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-02-26 13:40:52","extension":"png","order_by":4,"title":"Figure 4","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":143510,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eEmployment impacts from residential energy efficiency investments in the UK and India.Stacked bar charts show projected full-time equivalent (FTE) job creation across multiple sectors under residential energy efficiency investment scenarios for the years 2025–2050. Panel (a) illustrates sectoral employment distribution in the UK, where construction and manufacturing-related activities dominate job creation, with additional contributions from public administration and technical services. Panel (b) depicts employment impacts in India, highlighting a much larger absolute scale of job creation compared to the UK, driven primarily by building construction and non-metallic mineral products, alongside significant roles for iron and steel, electrical machinery, and other manufacturing sectors. Differences in sectoral composition and magnitude reflect contrasting economic structures and labor intensities in the two countries.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"floatimage4.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8773840/v1/50e0dfd6296cb074f62797b8.png"},{"id":103507196,"identity":"dbafab80-266b-4ce8-bc5e-3d629d3d2062","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-02-26 13:40:43","extension":"png","order_by":5,"title":"Figure 5","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":220083,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eWell-being impacts of LED measures in residential building sector in 2050 for the UK and India.\u003cbr\u003e\nRadar plots show percentage differences (base = 100) between LED and reference scenarios for nine indicators grouped under health, energy security, and employment. Values above 100 indicate improvements relative to the reference case. The 100 ring denotes parity with the reference scenario.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"floatimage5.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8773840/v1/417ec36cda5a604621b6b462.png"},{"id":103511986,"identity":"be851143-df54-48b1-b8af-21c36d918a34","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-02-26 14:11:58","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1801880,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8773840/v1/661721d5-96ae-4abc-a740-1a67a19d50df.pdf"},{"id":103471725,"identity":"fbd9c9a1-1d55-4dca-b419-163fd5406275","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-02-26 05:57:42","extension":"docx","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":36430,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"Beyond Efficiency: Health, Jobs, and Security Gains from Residential Energy Demand Reduction","description":"","filename":"Supplementarymaterial23.01.26.docx","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8773840/v1/80962bdfc47bb5c300b2b429.docx"}],"financialInterests":"There is \u003cb\u003eNO\u003c/b\u003e Competing Interest.","formattedTitle":"Beyond Efficiency: Health, Jobs, and Security Gains from Residential Energy Demand Reduction","fulltext":[{"header":"Main","content":"\u003cp\u003eLow Energy Demand (LED) approaches remain underexplored in both research and policy decision discourse, despite their potential to substantially reduce energy demand while strengthening energy security and improving well-being\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e,\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. Contemporary decarbonization scenarios continue to prioritize supply-side solutions, such as renewable energy deployment and electrification, while devoting comparatively little attention to demand-side measures and their capacity to deliver simultaneous climate change mitigation and societal co-benefits, including improved health, enhanced well-being, greater energy security, and job creation\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e,\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. As a result, both policy interest and investments in demand-side solutions remain limited.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA key barrier to the integration of demand-side measures into decarbonization policy packages is the lack of robust evidence of the physical magnitude of their well-being impacts. Recent estimates suggest that integrating climate and human development objectives within public expenditure framework could improve spending efficiency by up to 37% compared with addressing these objectives in isolation\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. At the same time, the investment needed to achieve a global net-zero transition is estimated at approximately USD150 trillion per year by 2050\u003csup\u003e6\u003c/sup\u003e. Yet, empirical studies assessing whether LED strategies can simultaneously reduce energy demand and improve well-being across different world regions remains scarce and are limited to a few countries\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e7\u003c/span\u003e,\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e8\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. Although sectoral analyses frequently estimate energy savings from demand-side interventions, they rarely capture the full range of impacts and typically overlook implications for human well-being\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e8\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. Consequently, the extent to which LED strategies can deliver both energy demand reductions and improve well-being across diverse regional contexts remains unclear.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis lack of evidence is particularly alarming in the buildings sector and for countries in Global South. Buildings account for one third of energy demand globally, 70% of which associated with residential buildings\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e9\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. Recent events, such as the 2022 European energy crisis have demonstrated that demand-side solutions can play a crucial role in rapidly reducing energy demand from buildings\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e10\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. At the same time, many Global South countries face a fundamental tension between reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and increasing consumption to achieve decent living standards and broader development goals\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e8\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. Achieving the 1.5°C target in these contexts requires harnessing the large mitigation potential in buildings, estimated at around 5 GtCO\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e\u003csup\u003e11\u003c/sup\u003e. Demand-side solutions therefore offer a unique opportunity to limit energy demand growth while improving well-being, enabling progress towards multiple sustainable development goals.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn this paper, we address a key gap in the energy scenario literature by demonstrating the universal relevance and magnitude of LED-induced well-being benefits across diverse socio-economic settings. We provide the first comprehensive quantification and, where feasible, monetization of key well-being outcomes associated with residential low energy demand interventions. Our analysis focuses on two contrasting contexts: the UK, representing the Global North, and India, representing the Global South. We examine a core set of LED measure in residential buildings, including high-efficiency renovations, high-efficiency new construction, and access to clean, energy-efficient appliances. We assess impacts across three central dimensions of well-being: health, energy security, and employment.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTo quantify the benefits associated with LED measures in residential buildings in India and the UK, we compare energy demand trajectories under two scenarios-a Reference scenario and a Low Energy Demand (LED) scenario - using the MESSAGEix-Buildings model\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e12\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. The scenarios represent contrasting levels of ambition in the implementation of demand-side energy efficiency strategies through 2050. The Reference scenario, aligned with the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSP2), assumes a continuation of current trends and policies, resulting in moderate efficiency improvements. By contrast, the LED scenario envisions a rapid acceleration of efficiency gains and demand reductions, enabled by technological innovation and strong policy support.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eGiven the substantial differences in climatic conditions, building stocks, and development trajectories between India and the UK, the LED measures modelled differ by country. In the UK, the LED pathway emphasizes nearly zero-energy standards for new buildings, deep renovation of the existing stock, a doubling of renovation rates, widespread deployment of heat pumps, electrification of space heating, and improvements in appliance efficiency. In India, LED measures focus on passive cooling strategies, such as cool roofs, shading, and improved insulation, a shift from air conditioning to evaporative cooling in dry regions, deployment of efficient heating and cooling systems, a transition to clean cooking fuels, and increased access to efficient household appliances.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOur findings yield two key insights. First, LED measures do not only significantly reduce energy demand, but also generate substantial co-benefits that, in many cases, outweigh those associated with energy savings alone, particularly in the domains of health and employment. These results reinforce that LED strategies are not merely climate mitigation tools, but powerful levers for improving quality of life and enhancing economic resilience across diverse contexts. In an era of rising energy insecurity and labour market pressures, LED measures offer a pathway toward a more inclusive and socially grounded energy transition.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSecond, LED measures in the residential sector, particularly deep renovation, high-efficiency new construction, and access to clean, energy-efficient appliances, deliver a broad suite of well-being co-benefits. Beyond reducing energy consumption, these measures improve thermal comfort and indoor air quality through enhanced building envelops, improved ventilation and air filtration, and reduced emissions from heating and cooking. These improvements lower indoor pollutant concentrations and limit the penetration of outdoor contaminants, thereby reducing the risk of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases and other pollution-related health outcomes. Improved health outcomes, in turn, support higher productivity and increased disposable income. At the same time, lower energy demand reduces reliance on energy imports and decreases household utility costs, contributing to energy security, alleviating energy poverty, and strengthening economic resilience. While LED measures, such as building retrofits and high-efficiency construction, requires upfront investment, these costs should not be viewed solely as a societal burden. Instead, they represent a significant opportunity for job creation across the construction, manufacturing, and renovation value chains, stimulating employment and broader economic activity.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Method","content":"\u003cp\u003eWe quantify well-being using objective indicators across three key dimensions: health, energy security, and employment. Together, these dimensions capture a \u003cem\u003eeudaimonic\u003c/em\u003e conception of well-being, which emphasizes the conditions that enable individuals and societies to flourish and is widely recognized as a central objective of economic development, social policy, and energy transitions. We focus on these dimensions for three main reasons: first, health, employment, and energy security represent universal policy priorities, relevant across economic, geographic, or political contexts. They reflect fundamental determinants of human well-being and resonate strongly with both policymakers and the public. Second, while these dimensions are often linked to subjective well-being outcomes, subjective indicators are rarely incorporated directly into energy or climate policy decisions. By contrast, this study provides quantifiable physical metrices and, where feasible, monetary evaluations, making the results more actionable for policy analysis. Third, by focusing on these three dimensions, we establish a conservative lower-bound estimates of the well-being benefits associated with LED measure. This provides a robust baseline that can be extended in future work to integrate additional well-being dimensions, such as thermal comfort, energy poverty alleviation, and social equity.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThere is no single standardized method for quantifying these drivers of well-being, particularly in the context of LED scenarios and long-term projections. Our approach therefore integrates multiple, complementary methods, aligned with the outputs of the MESSAGEix-Buildings model. We proceed in two main steps. First, we project residential energy demand under two contrasting scenarios - Reference and Low Energy Demand (LED) - for India and the UK using MESSAGEix-Buildings integrated assessment approach\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e13\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. The Reference scenario reflects a continuation of current trends and policies with moderate efficiency improvements, while the LED scenario envisions a rapid acceleration of efficiency gains and demand reductions driven by technological innovation and strong policy support through 2050. Second, we estimate country-specific co-benefits associated with these scenarios using tailored methodologies for each well-being dimension. A brief overview of each approach is provided below (see Supplementary Information (SI) for full methodological details):\u003c/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eHealth impacts are assessed for both indoor and outdoor air pollution exposure. Outdoor exposure-related health impacts are estimated by integrating MESSAGEix-Buildings outputs into the GAINS model\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e14\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. For indoor exposure, we estimate the population living in energy-efficient buildings under each scenario and apply country-specific data to calculate active days lost (a composite of absenteeism and presenteeism)\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e15\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. These values are then adjusted for disease-specific risk reductions to estimate active days gained under LED relative to the Reference scenario.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eEnergy security is evaluated using the simulation tool developed by Bento et al.\u003csup\u003e16\u003c/sup\u003e, who capture the impacts of demand-side interventions on final energy use, electricity demand, and activity levels. These outputs are used to estimate changes in primary energy use and fuel mix, reflecting the cascading effects of efficiency improvements.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eEmployment impacts are estimated using country-specific employment multipliers, covering both direct and indirect jobs. Direct employment includes jobs generated in construction, architecture, and engineering, while indirect employment accounts for supply chain jobs in manufacturing, public administration, IT, and financial services. Sectoral investment shares are based on Brown et al.\u003csup\u003e17\u003c/sup\u003e, focusing exclusively on residential energy efficiency. UK multipliers and full-time equivalent (FTE) effects are sourced from the UK Office for National Statistics\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e18\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e, while Indian multipliers are derived from Sinha et al.\u003csup\u003e19\u003c/sup\u003e, adjusted for labour productivity growth using projections from van Dijk\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e20\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003c/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003eFigure\u0026nbsp;1 summarizes the conceptual framework underpinning our analysis, illustrating how residential LED interventions, such as high-efficiency renovations and new construction, translate into improved indoor air quality, reduced energy expenditures, and enhanced energy security. These intermediate outcomes generate improvements in health, disposable income, and job creation across the construction and energy value chains. The framework applies to both a Global North context (UK) and a Global South context (India), highlighting the universal relevance of LED measures for enhancing well-being across diverse socio-economic settings. A detailed methodological framework is discussed in the supplementary section.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Results","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eEnergy demand projections\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe projected evolution of the building stock differs substantially between the two countries. In India, rapid population growth combined with rising per-capita floor space leads to a doubling of total floor area between 2020 and 2050, with newly constructed buildings accounting for nearly two-thirds of the stock by mid-century. Under the LED scenario, stringent building codes accelerate the uptake of advanced, nearly zero-energy buildings, in sharp contrast to the Reference scenario.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the UK, floor space growth is marginal, and most of the 2050 building stock consists of structures already standing in 2020. While only around one-third of this stock undergoes renovation under the Reference scenario, the LED pathway doubles renovation rates and enforces deep retrofit standards, leading to widespread adoption of nearly zero-energy performance in both new and existing buildings.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFigure 2 illustrates the substantial energy savings achieved through the implementation of demand-side strategies. By 2050, final energy demand in the building sector is reduced by 53% in the UK and 52% in India relative to the Reference scenario. However, the drivers of these reductions differ fundamentally. In India, the largest savings occur in cooling (-74%), cooking (-43%), hot water (-43%), and appliances (-40%). In the UK, reductions are dominated by space heating (-61%) and hot water demand (-58%).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eDemand-side action reduces mortality and morbidity\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBesides substantial energy savings, demand-side measures deliver significant health benefits by reducing exposure to both outdoor and indoor air pollutants. In India, premature mortality and morbidity under the Reference scenario reach 1.27\u0026nbsp;million deaths and 7,079\u0026nbsp;million active days lost in 2030, increasing to 1.60\u0026nbsp;million deaths and 7,639\u0026nbsp;million active days in 2050. Under the LED scenario, these impacts decline to 1.26\u0026nbsp;million deaths and 6,718\u0026nbsp;million active days lost in 2030, and to 1.56\u0026nbsp;million deaths and 6,579\u0026nbsp;million days in 2050. This corresponds to cumulative reductions of 13,531 and 61,683 premature deaths, and 361 and 1,060\u0026nbsp;million active days lost in 2030 and 2050, respectively, primarily driven by building-sector measures such as the adoption of clean cooking technologies (Fig.\u0026nbsp;3, upper panel). In the UK, the Reference scenario results in 25.41 thousand premature deaths and 279\u0026nbsp;million active days lost in 2030, and 23.73 thousand deaths and 296\u0026nbsp;million days in 2050. Implementation of the LED pathways reduces these impacts to 23.86 thousand deaths and 239\u0026nbsp;million days in 2030, and to 20.89 thousand deaths and 229\u0026nbsp;million days in 2050. These reductions correspond to 1,553 and 2,841 fewer premature deaths, and 40 and 67\u0026nbsp;million fewer active days lost in 2030 and 2050, respectively, with the largest gains arising from clean residential heating (Fig.\u0026nbsp;3, lower panel).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn India, \u003cem\u003ethe economic cost of\u003c/em\u003e premature‑death were USD 648\u0026nbsp;billion in 2020 and are projected to \u003cem\u003eincrease\u003c/em\u003e by 26% by 2030 and almost double by 2050 under the Reference scenario\u003cem\u003e-\u003c/em\u003e equivalent to 6% and 3% of projected GDP in 2030 and 2050 \u003cem\u003erespectively\u003c/em\u003e. LED measures reduce these costs by USD 9\u0026nbsp;billion in 2030 and USD 39\u0026nbsp;billion in 2050 (Fig.\u0026nbsp;3f). Economic losses from reduced active days were USD 46\u0026nbsp;million in 2020 and are expected to increase by 13% and 35% by 2030 and 2050. Under LED, these losses fall by 6% and 15% relative to Reference (Refer to SI Table S3). In the UK, premature‑death costs were USD 66\u0026nbsp;billion in 2020 and decline by 23% by 2030 and 28% by 2050 in the Reference scenario- 1.9% and 1.1% of GDP. LED yields additional reductions of USD 3\u0026nbsp;billion in 2030 and USD 6\u0026nbsp;billion in 2050 respectively (Fig.\u0026nbsp;3d). Active‑days costs USD 16\u0026nbsp;million in 2020, rise by 6% and 19% by 2030 and 2050 under Reference, \u003cem\u003ebut fall by 22% under LED by 2050 (Fig.\u0026nbsp;3h)\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ea-d)\u003c/b\u003e \u003cem\u003eHealth impacts of building-sector strategies in\u003c/em\u003e India \u003cem\u003e(upper panel, millions) and the\u003c/em\u003e UK \u003cem\u003e(lower panel, thousands) for 2030, 2040, and 2050.\u003c/em\u003e\u003cb\u003ee-h)\u003c/b\u003e \u003cem\u003eEconomic benefits of the LED scenario estimated using the Value of Statistical Life (VSL) approach for\u003c/em\u003e \u003cb\u003eIndia\u003c/b\u003e \u003cem\u003eand the\u003c/em\u003e \u003cb\u003eUK\u003c/b\u003e. \u003cem\u003eRed bars represent the difference between Reference and LED scenarios, representing positive monetary benefits from air quality improvements driven by LED measures.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eStronger energy security with less energy\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe evolution of final energy consumption is a critical determinant of a country’s vulnerability to energy shocks and a key component of energy security. Between 2020 and 2050, final energy consumption declines more substantially under the LED scenario than under Reference scenario in both countries, with larger reductions in the UK (23%) compared to India (16%) (versus 11% and 2%, respectively, under Reference scenario). A major driver of these dynamics is the improvement in final energy intensity. Under LED, energy intensity falls from 3.08 EJ/trillion USD to 0.68 EJ/trillion USD in India and from 2.17 EJ/trillion USD to 0.92 EJ/trillion USD in the UK (compared to 0.82 and 1.06 EJ/trillion USD under Reference scenario). Improvement in India is more dramatic, reflecting technological leapfrogging and accelerated institutional and infrastructural development (Table\u0026nbsp;1).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePrimary energy savings are more pronounced in the UK, reaching 23% under LED, compared to 16% in India. However, India experiences greater savings in energy expenditures-73% compared to 54% in the UK due to strong electrification, increased reliance on domestic renewable energy, and reduced dependence on imported fossil fuels. The share of fossil fuels in total primary energy declines modestly in the UK, from 84% to 79% under LED (a 5-percentage-point reduction, one point greater than under Reference scenario). In India, the share decreases slightly from 76% to 74% under LED, though SSP2 achieves a larger reduction to 67%. These shifts contribute to lower energy import dependency, which falls from 79% to 72% in the UK (two points lower than in Reference scenario) and from 48% to 27% in India (a 10-point greater reduction than Reference scenario). Overall, the LED scenario improves multiple dimensions of energy security, access, continuity, and environmental sustainability, relative to reference scenario, though the magnitude varies by indicator and country. The UK sees stronger gains in energy intensity and primary energy savings, while India benefits more from expenditure savings and reduced import dependency.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eDemand-side Investment Generates Substantial Direct and Indirect Jobs\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eInvestment in LED measures generate substantial employment benefits in both countries. In the UK, LED-related investments are projected to create approximately 4\u0026nbsp;million cumulative direct and indirect full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs by 2050 (Fig.\u0026nbsp;4). For India, the impact is even more pronounced, with nearly 30\u0026nbsp;million cumulative FTE jobs projected by 2050. In the UK, formal employment in the construction sector, including management and non-labour roles, is estimated at 2.6\u0026nbsp;million employees in 2025: Reference scenario employment increases to 2.75\u0026nbsp;million by 2029, equivalent to around 48,000 new construction jobs per year\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e21\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. Under the LED scenario, on average an additional 46,000 direct jobs would be created annually between 2030 and 2050 in construction and related services. In India, the construction sector employed approximately 71\u0026nbsp;million workers in 2025\u003csup\u003e22\u003c/sup\u003e. Additional 10.5\u0026nbsp;million direct jobs would be created in construction and related services by 2050, driven by residential energy efficiency investments. Similarly, India’s manufacturing sector, employing 68.5\u0026nbsp;million workers in 2023, is expected to gain 14\u0026nbsp;million jobs by 2050 from LED-related investments. For both India and UK, most of these jobs will be created through indirect job, particularly in the electrical machinery and tools industry along with the construction industry. The employment estimates show that the additional jobs are mostly coming from indirect jobs; 71% and 65% for Uk and India respectively. These figures underscore the potential of LED strategies to act as a catalyst for job creation, particularly in labour-intensive sectors, while supporting broader economic development objectives.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEmployment considerations have so far focused on the demand-side: the jobs induced by the specific energy efficiency interventions associated with deep energy renovation and high efficiency construction. Yet, LED interventions in buildings will result in lower energy demand and increase electrification. As such, they will also affect the level and type of employment in the energy sector, whose energy supply will change\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e23\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. These supply-side employment effects are additional to the direct and indirect job creation effects described so far.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAdding three drivers of well-being and demand reduction\u003c/em\u003e:\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOur results indicate that LED measures generate significant well-being co-benefits beyond energy savings, spanning health, energy security, and employment in both countries, although the magnitude and distribution of benefits differ between India and in the UK. Health gains arise from improved indoor air quality, reduced exposure to pollutants, and access to clean heating and cooking, leading to avoided premature deaths and increased active days, especially among vulnerable urban populations. Energy security improves through lower fossil fuel dependence and reduced import reliance, with India achieving the largest relative gains due to its high import vulnerability. These shifts enhance resilience to global energy price volatility, a critical policy priority for emerging economies. Employment benefits result from increased demand for labour-intensive construction and manufacturing activities, reflecting the job creation potential of deep renovation and high efficiency building interventions.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFigure\u0026nbsp;5 summarizes relative improvements in well-being indicators under the LED scenario compared with the Reference case (base = 100). In the UK, the most pronounced improvements are observed in final energy demand (53%), reflecting systemic efficiency gains, and employment (36%), underscoring the economic potential of residential retrofits and high-efficiency construction. Health benefits are also significant compared to Reference scenario, with avoided premature deaths (12%) and active days gained (23%), driven by improved indoor air quality and access to clean heating. Energy security indicators show moderate but meaningful improvements, including reductions in fossil fuel share (11%) and import dependency (8%).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn India, the pattern is broadly similar but with distinct priorities. While reductions in final energy demand (53%) match those of the UK, the largest co-benefits emerge in import dependency (16%) and employment (16%), reflecting the developmental importance of reducing reliance on imported fuels and expanding labour-intensive construction and manufacturing sectors. Health gains, though positive, are smaller in relative term than in the UK with avoided premature deaths (3%) and active days gained (14%). This aligns with evidence that air pollution disproportionately affects disadvantaged populations in low‑ and middle‑income countries\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e24\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e, highlighting inequities not addressed by demand-side energy reductions alone. Economic indicators, such as savings in primary energy demand (14%) and energy expenditures (2%), further reinforce the cost-effectiveness of LED strategies in both contexts.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Discussion","content":"\u003cp\u003eDespite the residential building sector accounting for a significant share of global energy demand, the well-being co-benefits of LED measures remain underexplored and under-quantified in energy scenario analysis. By comparing Reference and LED pathways for India and the UK, our analysis demonstrates that residential demand-side strategies deliver substantial physical and monetary benefits across three critical dimensions of well-being- health, energy security, and employment, while achieving deep reductions in energy demand. Importantly, these co-benefits are not marginal; in several cases, their economic value rivals or exceeds direct energy savings, underscoring that LED measures should be framed not as cost burdens but as high-return societal investments.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe differentiated outcomes observed across the UK and India highlight both the universal relevance of LED strategies and the need for context-specific policy design. In a mature energy system such as the UK, deep renovation and high-efficiency construction yield strong improvements in energy intensity and employment, alongside significant health gains. In contrast, India’s LED pathway delivers particularly large benefits in energy security and labour-intensive job creation, reflecting the developmental importance of reducing import dependence while expanding access to efficient and clean residential services. Together, these findings challenge the perception that demand-side measures primarily serve global climate objectives with limited local value, revealing them instead as powerful levers for advancing national development priorities alongside decarbonization.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAt the same time, our results expose a structural limitation of prevailing integrated assessment models (IAMs), which remain predominantly supply-oriented and typically represent demand-side measures as exogenous efficiency improvements rather than as active drivers of social welfare. This modelling bias obscures the role of LED strategies in generating health improvements, employment, and energy security gains, and helps explain why well-being considerations remain peripheral in climate policy design. By explicitly quantifying these outcomes, our analysis shows that demand-side interventions are not merely cost-minimizing complements to supply-side decarbonization, but central to delivering socially robust and welfare-enhancing net-zero pathways.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis underrepresentation of demand-side benefits in modelling frameworks has direct implications for national investment strategies. Current net-zero pathways continue to prioritize energy supply infrastructure, while underinvesting in residential efficiency, renovation, and clean household technologies. When health, employment, and energy security co-benefits are accounted for, LED measures emerge as high-return investments, particularly in labour-intensive and import-dependent economies, capable of reducing energy demand, improving household welfare, and stimulating domestic economic activity. Embedding well-being metrics into energy modelling and public investment appraisal frameworks could therefore improve the efficiency, equity, and political durability of climate strategies, aligning decarbonization goals with tangible socio-economic gains experienced by households and communities.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eData availability: \u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll data supporting the findings of this study are publicly available on Zenodo under the following DOI:\u003cstrong\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18465327\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e. \u003c/strong\u003ePlease cite the dataset as:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChatterjee, S., Mastrucci, A., Zhang, J., Johnson-Wang, M., Verdolini, E., Purohit, P., Kiesewetter, G., Boza-Kiss, B., Zhang, S., Bento, N., \u0026amp; \u0026Uuml;rge-Vorsatz, D. (2026). Beyond Efficiency: Health, Jobs, and Security Gains from Residential Energy Demand Reduction - Dataset (Version V01) [Data set]. Zenodo\u003cstrong\u003e. \u003c/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18465327\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e.\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAcknowledgement: \u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis work is an outcome of Energy Demand changes Induced by Technological and Social innovations (EDITS)-co-benefits fast track project within the EDITS project, which is an initiative coordinated by the Research Institute of Innovative Technology for the Earth (RITE) and the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), and funded by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), Japan. The authors are grateful for Prof.Joyashyee Roy for her guidance and feedback on finalizing the employment assessment. \u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSharmina M et al (2025) Policymaker-led scenarios and public dialogue facilitate energy demand analysis for net-zero futures. Nat Energy. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1038/s41560-025-01898-3\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1038/s41560-025-01898-3\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003evan Heerden R et al (2025) Demand-side strategies enable rapid and deep cuts in buildings and transport emissions to 2050. 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UK Input-Output Analytical Tables: Product by Product (2022)\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSinha A (2015) P. A., J. R. \u003cem\u003eEmployment Dimension of Infrastructure Investment State Level Input\u0026ndash;Output Analysis.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003evan Dijk (2013) Michiel. Productivity growth at the sectoral level: measurement and projections. in \u003cem\u003e16th Annual Conference on Global Economic Analysis\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCITB.. THE CONSTRUCTION WORKFORCE OUTLOOK: UNITED KINGDOM. (2025)\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eILO. Creating Opportunities for Women in Construction in India: A Call for Action (2025)\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePai S, Emmerling J, Drouet L, Zerriffi H, Jewell J (2021) Meeting well-below 2\u0026deg;C target would increase energy sector jobs globally. One Earth 4:1026\u0026ndash;1036\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRentschler J, Leonova N (2023) Global air pollution exposure and poverty. Nat Commun 14:4432\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ol\u003e"},{"header":"Table 1","content":"\u003cp\u003eTable 1: Comparison of UK and India\u0026rsquo;s fossil fuel share, import dependency, and energy intensity under different scenarios.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ctable border=\"1\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 47.907%;\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"3\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 27.7907%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eUK\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"3\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 24.3023%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIndia\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 47.907%;\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 9.18605%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBase 2019\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 9.88372%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReference 050\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8.72093%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLED_2050\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8.02326%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBase 2019\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8.60465%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReference _2050\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 7.67442%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLED_2050\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 47.907%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShare of fossil fuels [%]\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 9.18605%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e84%\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 9.88372%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e81%\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8.72093%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e79%\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8.02326%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e76%\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8.60465%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e67%\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 7.67442%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e74%\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 47.907%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eImport dependency [%]\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 9.18605%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e79%\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 9.88372%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e74%\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8.72093%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e72%\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8.02326%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e48%\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8.60465%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e37%\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 7.67442%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e27%\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 47.907%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFinal energy intensity [EJ/trillion USD]\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 9.18605%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.17\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 9.88372%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.06\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8.72093%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.92\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8.02326%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.08\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8.60465%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.82\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 7.67442%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.68\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 47.907%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSavings in primary energy demand [base=100]*\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 9.18605%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e100\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 9.88372%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e111\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8.72093%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e123\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8.02326%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e100\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8.60465%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e102\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 7.67442%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e116\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 47.907%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSavings in energy expenditures on GDP [base=100]*\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 9.18605%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e100\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 9.88372%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e150\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8.72093%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e154\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8.02326%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e100\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8.60465%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e170\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 7.67442%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e173\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":true,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"nature-portfolio","isNatureJournal":true,"hasQc":false,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"Nature Portfolio","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":false,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"ejp","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false},"keywords":"Co-benefits, Well-being, Employment, Health, Net-zero Transition, Energy Security","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8773840/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8773840/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eLow energy demand (LED) strategies in buildings are increasingly recognised as key for climate mitigation, yet their broader well-being impacts remain poorly quantified and underrepresented in energy scenarios. Here we assess the health, energy security and employment co-benefits of residential LED pathways through 2050, in the UK and India, two countries with very different socio-economic contexts. We combine the MESSAGEix-Buildings model with air pollution and employment impact assessments to compare a LED pathway with a reference scenario. We show that show that demand side strategies can simultaneously advance climate mitigation, public health, energy security and employment: LED strategies reduce residential energy demand by 53% in both countries while delivering well-being gains beyond energy savings. In the UK, LED measures generate strong employment growth (+\u0026thinsp;36%) and health improvements, reducing premature mortality by 12%. In India, the largest benefits arise from reduced energy import dependence (-16%) and job creation (+\u0026thinsp;16%).\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Beyond Efficiency: Health, Jobs, and Security Gains from Residential Energy Demand Reduction","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2026-02-26 05:57:37","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8773840/v1","editorialEvents":[],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"nature-communications","isNatureJournal":true,"hasQc":false,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"NCOMMS","sideBox":"Learn more about [Nature Communications](http://www.nature.com/ncomms/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"https://mts-ncomms.nature.com/","title":"Nature Communications","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"ejp","reportingPortfolio":"Nature Communications","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"675cc75b-a455-4008-8f26-ea0b0e8833ea","owner":[],"postedDate":"February 26th, 2026","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"under-review","subjectAreas":[{"id":63408382,"name":"Earth and environmental sciences/Environmental social sciences"},{"id":63408383,"name":"Scientific community and society/Energy and society"}],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-02-26T05:57:37+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2026-02-26 05:57:37","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-8773840","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-8773840","identity":"rs-8773840","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}