Achieving low energy demand in buildings is crucial in climate change mitigation. In India, this needs to be balanced with the need to address critical gaps in access to the basic services supporting Decent Living Standards (DLS). Supported by new evidence from a set of detailed sectoral and integrated assessment models, this research explores future trends in DLS achievement and linkages with energy demand in the Global South, focusing on the residential sector in India. We consider four key dimensions of DLS: sufficient space and durable housing, thermal comfort, access to basic appliances and to clean cooking. The results show that the substantial increase in residential floor area will not guarantee an improvement in DLS levels due to continuing non-durable housing construction. Outputs from the PIER model developed by Prayas (Energy Group) were used in this analysis.

The paper is available for download at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2024.103757.