Energy Supply and Demand Coordination Can Advance Both Climate Goals and Sustainable Development in the Global South

Abstract Reconciling climate mitigation with sustainable development is a critical imperative in the Global South, where rising emissions coincide with persistent development deficits. Here, we develop an integrated assessment framework linking nationally determined contribution (NDC)-aligned supply-side, demand-side, and coordinated supply–demand policy packages to greenhouse-gas trajectories and a six-goal Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) scorecard. We show that supply-focused renewable expansion or demand-focused efficiency improves selected SDG-related dimensions but creates trade-offs involving energy-cost pressure, water use, and ecosystem protection. By comparison, an integrated supply–demand strategy maximizes the SDG score (69 versus 65 under REF in 2050), enhances clean-energy penetration and efficiency, and averts approximately 485,000 annual premature deaths in 2050 relative to REF. These findings highlight the potential of coordinated supply–demand strategies to reduce climate–SDG trade-offs across the Global South.