Carbon emissions within developed countries seems to be a continued hot topic, but there are less developed countries who are starting from points. The wealthier nations of the world had their Industrial Revolutions without sustainability restrictions, but now we are pushing decarbonisation agendas on developing countries as they struggle to meet their basic needs [1]. I’m not sure that this is the fairest approach.
The UK, as well as other countries, have built their economies by using high-carbon industries such as factories, coal-fired plant, and energy-intensive manufacturing. This worked for us but we are now stuck with a lasting emissions legacy [2]. So now we have developing countries that are left with a tricky reality; How do they grow without making the same mistakes as modern nations? [3].
There are numerous nations across Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, and South America, where fossil fuels aren’t just a bad habit; they’re essential for survival [4]. To put this into perspective, how can essential services such as hospitals be powered if the grid is unreliable? How can goods be transported without affordable fuel! There is plenty of evidence to support that renewables are the future, but for the most part in the developing corners of the world, they are still too expensive and unreliable to go ‘all in’ [5].
A standout example of a developing country that is struggling with renewable energy adaption is Nigeria, despite an abundance of solar resources. There are major financial, infrastructure and fossil-fuel dependency roadblocks that are affecting transition. There have been delays in large-scale solar projects too as a result of investor concerns about policy uncertainty and a lack of governmental guarantees [6]. Meanwhile, communities are forced to rely on expensive and smaller off-grid solar installations to combat unreliable infrastructure, which is nothing more than a short-term solution [7].
There are also deep ties to oil and gas within Nigeria, which makes it difficult to realign priorities towards renewable technology [8]. However, there was recently a £150M deal with a company called WeLight, which aims to expand renewable mini-grids, to provide green energy to rural areas in Nigeria [9].
Developing countries need these renewables and investment from companies like WeLight, and they will default straight to fossil-fuels without this intervention [10]. If there is serious investment and policy reform, there is a better chance that countries like Nigeria will be able to transition at meaningful scale [11].
And here’s the catch: many of these countries have been given no financial aid or technical support to be able to transition at any meaningful scale. The solution seems to be ‘just use green energy’, but there doesn’t seem to be a plan when it comes to light that they cannot afford the infrastructure to support this. This is a real problem, and forcing transition too quickly may stall essential developments elsewhere in these nations [12].
With that in mind, what should be the role of the UK and similar countries? It is one thing to reduce emissions, but if we are serious about tackling climate change, the wealthier nations of the world need to step up and provide support to the rest of the world too [13].
Technology sharing initiatives could be a viable solution to this. As opposed to just setting carbon neutral targets, more developed nations could assist in funding clean energy solutions in other parts of the world, including heat pump technology, carbon capture and grid infrastructure upgrades [14].
For example, if we look at the Green Climate Fund, this was created to assist developing nations in transitioning to greener systems without plunging them into debt. But many countries are making claims that they are still waiting to receive action on the promises of support to which wealthier nations have committed. [15]. Should there be continued funding delays, we are risking decades of high emissions numbers being locked-in [16].
It would be easy to palm this off as being someone else’s issue, but here’s the problem: as wealthier countries move closer to net zero, it is expected that developing countries will see a surge in emissions. The International Energy Agency (IEA) suggests that over 90% of future emissions growth will root from these developing nations unless there is tangible investment in green alternatives [17].
This is a big deal. We can set all the carbon reduction targets we like, but if lower-income countries are forced into fossil-fuel dependency as a result of having no better options,global emissions won’t reduce, and will shift to new locations [18].
That’s why international agreements like the Paris Agreement (which some are regrettably moving away from), stress “common but differentiated responsibilities” [19]. What this means, in layman’s terms, is that every country must act on climate change, but those wealthiest countries should lead, not just in emissions reduction, but also in assisting developing countries in doing the same.
We in the UK, as well as other similarly-performing countries, have a real chance to lead in climate diplomacy, not just with policy, but also with meaningful action. Global investment in sustainable development is not just an act of generosity, but rather a critical move in preventing a future emissions crisis [20].
With that in mind, here is the question: how can we balance economic growth with achievable sustainability goal? Getting this wrong could lead to some nations being left behind, or indeed forced into total fossil-fuel dependency simply because they don’t have any other choice [21].
As opposed to a one-size-fits-all strategy, it could be time for a more practical approach. One that can allow developing countries to grow at a sensible pace, whilst keeping their emissions in check but permitting them a more relaxed margin for emissions to account for the emissions-heavy boom that we enjoyed years ago [22].
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References
[1] Oxfam America (2024) Who is responsible for climate change? Available at: https://www.oxfamamerica.org/explore/stories/who-is-responsible-for-climate-change/
[2] Carbon Brief (2024) Analysis: Which countries are historically responsible for climate change? Available at: https://www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-which-countries-are-historically-responsible-for-climate-change/
[3] Brookings Institution (2024) It is unfair to push poor countries to reach zero carbon emissions too early. Available at: https://www.brookings.edu/articles/it-is-unfair-to-push-poor-countries-to-reach-zero-carbon-emissions-too-early/
[4] UNCTAD (2024) Carbon emissions anywhere threaten development everywhere. Available at: https://unctad.org/news/carbon-emissions-anywhere-threaten-development-everywhere
[5] UNFCCC (2024) Technology Mechanism. Available at: https://unfccc.int/ttclear/technology-mechanism.html
[6] AP News (2024) Africa’s clean energy transition hits roadblocks. Available at: https://apnews.com/article/cf157e9b321fd1ad8ad5e92f7b5d3355
[7] International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) (2024) The State of Renewable Energy in Africa. Available at: https://www.irena.org/publications/2024/Africa-Renewable-Energy-Outlook
[8] Carbon Brief (2024) Why Nigeria’s energy transition is so difficult. Available at: https://www.carbonbrief.org/nigeria-energy-transition-challenges
[9] Reuters (2024) Nigeria secures $200 million to expand renewable mini-grids. Available at: https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/nigeria-strikes-200-million-deal-power-rural-areas-with-renewable-mini-grids-2025-03-10/
[10] The Guardian (2024) Nigeria’s renewable energy potential is massive – so what’s stopping it? Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/mar/10/nigeria-renewable-energy-potential
[11] International Energy Agency (IEA) (2024) Africa’s Energy Future: Balancing Growth and Sustainability. Available at: https://www.iea.org/reports/africas-energy-outlook-2024
[12] The Guardian (2025) Trump’s USAID cuts will have huge impact on global climate finance, data shows. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/mar/10/trumps-usaid-cuts-will-have-huge-impact-on-global-climate-finance-data-shows
[13] Center for Global Development (2024) Climate Change and Development in Three Charts. Available at: https://www.cgdev.org/blog/climate-change-and-development-three-charts
[14] Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (2024) How Deep Is the North-South Divide on Climate Negotiations? Available at: https://carnegieendowment.org/research/2021/10/how-deep-is-the-north-south-divide-on-climate-negotiations
[15] The Guardian (2024) The Guardian view on UN climate talks: rich and poor nations can strike a win-win deal. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/nov/15/the-guardian-view-on-un-climate-talks-rich-and-poor-nations-can-strike-a-win-win-deal
[16] International Energy Agency (2021) Net Zero by 2050: A Roadmap for the Global Energy Sector, available at: https://www.iea.org/reports/net-zero-by-2050
[17] International Energy Agency (2023) CO₂ Emissions in 2023, available at: https://www.iea.org/reports/co2-emissions-in-2023
[18] UNFCCC (2015) Paris Agreement, available at: https://unfccc.int/sites/default/files/english_paris_agreement.pdf
[19] UNFCCC (2015) The Explainer: The Paris Agreement, available at: https://unfccc.int/news/the-explainer-the-paris-agreement
[20] International Energy Agency (2023) World Energy Outlook 2024, available at: https://www.iea.org/reports/world-energy-outlook-2024
[21] IRENA (2024) World Energy Transitions Outlook, available at: https://www.irena.org/Energy-Transition/Outlook
[22] Climate Nexus (2015) Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities, available at: https://climatenexus.org/climate-change-news/common-but-differentiated-responsibilities-and-respective-capabilities-cbdr-rc/
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