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

Low 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 (+ 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%).