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Global decent living standards could be achieved by moderate build-up of material stocks

Global inequalities leave billions without the services necessary for a decent living standard. Our analysis suggests that even moderate additions to societies’ material stocks in buildings, infrastructure and machinery could secure universal decent living standards, by 2030 at current construction rates.

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Fig. 1: Material stocks providing DLS.

References

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This is a summary of: Streeck, J. et al. Small increases in material stocks to achieve decent living standards globally. Nat. Sustain. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-025-01670-1 (2025).

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Global decent living standards could be achieved by moderate build-up of material stocks. Nat Sustain 8, 1441–1442 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-025-01671-0

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