Small increases in material stocks to achieve decent living standards globally

20991 7 111707 2 337664 document 111707 s41893-025-01670-1.pdf application/pdf 306d55484ce158232340620bcfce57df MD5 4830072 2025-11-17 09:05:24 https://pure.iiasa.ac.at/id/eprint/20991/1/s41893-025-01670-1.pdf 20991 1 1 application/pdf text en public cc_by_4

s41893-025-01670-1.pdf

published 111724 1 337692 document 111724 indexcodes.txt text/plain 3c9efdb0ba2611966d8e0a3cd5c571e0 MD5 16982 2025-11-17 09:15:27 https://pure.iiasa.ac.at/id/eprint/20991/2/indexcodes.txt 20991 2 2 text/plain other Generate index codes conversion from text to indexcodes en public

indexcodes.txt

lightbox.jpg

preview.jpg

medium.jpg

small.jpg

http://eprints.org/relation/isVersionOf https://pure.iiasa.ac.at/id/document/111707 http://eprints.org/relation/isVolatileVersionOf https://pure.iiasa.ac.at/id/document/111707 http://eprints.org/relation/issmallThumbnailVersionOf https://pure.iiasa.ac.at/id/document/111707 archive 353 disk0/00/02/09/91 2025-11-17 09:06:45 2026-04-10 08:13:32 2025-11-17 09:06:45 article show Streeck J. Veléz-Henao J.A. Kikstra J. 2256 0000-0001-9405-1228 Pachauri S. 1816 0000-0001-8138-3178 Min J. 2098 0000-0002-0020-1174 Krausmann F. Haberl H. Pauliuk S. Zaini T. 2558 0009-0006-0744-8993 Wiedenhofer D. Small increases in material stocks to achieve decent living standards globally pub ECE IACC S3 TISS Global inequalities in resource use leave billions below decent living standards (DLS)—a proposal of universal minimum service levels required to meet essential human needs. Although research has examined the energy use and greenhouse gas emission implications of achieving universal DLS, little is known about the necessary expansion of societies’ material stocks in buildings, infrastructure and machinery. Here we estimate that closing global DLS gaps would require an increase of approximately 12% in the existing material stocks of society, if efforts to expand these stocks are devoted exclusively to meet DLS. At current construction rates, this could be accomplished by 2030. However, if historical trends of unequal growth of material stocks driven by demands beyond DLS persist, the material stock requirements for DLS could increase tenfold, risking the achievement of sustainable development and climate change mitigation goals. To achieve DLS for all while limiting environmental pressures, it is essential to prioritize expansion of material stocks for closing DLS gaps and to critically asses stock expansion for demands beyond DLS—especially in affluent regions. Such a strategy could ensure universal DLS at more sustainable resource use levels. 2025-11-05 published Nature Publishing Group doi:10.1038/s41893-025-01670-1 3149 222 208 3886 public Nature Sustainability TRUE 2398-9629 Energy Demand Changes Induced by Technological and Social Innovations (EDITS) info:eu-repo/semantics/article