Imagine that a country can undergo a rapid growth journey by giving up the fossil-dependent step. The idea of traveling from a fossil-free society to a continued fossil-free one would mean a new world order and a major step for humanity's fight against climate change.
The world's industrialized countries arose by initially being fossil-free, then becoming fossil-dependent and now trying to become fossil-free again. The world's developing countries have the opportunity to become industrialized - and could refrain from the step of becoming fossil dependent. The step to becoming an industrialized country usually goes via fossil fuels, but as the world looks, there is now a chance for another path to the future. A journey of the future where the winners are not only the developing countries - but also our climate.
Fossil means excavated or ancient and this describes the society developing countries will build if the step to growth is by being a fossil society. Climate change means a springboard for developing countries to become green economies because the countries do not have to go through a fossil-dependent development phase, which today's industrialized countries are stuck in. If the industrialized countries refrain from climate change while today developing world hegemony.
For industrialized countries, climate change seems to be defined as a setback and an obstacle. If industrialized countries saw climate change as desirable, industrialized countries would be well on their way to becoming climate neutral. The world's richest countries are still large emitters. The G8 countries previously caused half the world's emissions before production-heavy China joined the industrial group, according to WWF.
When today's industrialized countries are hesitant about climate change, a new world order may emerge.
Developing countries need to invest in the green transition instead of oil - the black gold. It is Chile an example of. In 2012, the country produced only five megawatts of solar energy, which corresponds to only 20 people's annual energy consumption for cooking. But after thousands of millions in investments some years later, three quarters of Latin America's total solar energy was produced in the country. Only in 2020 did Sweden install solar cells corresponding to 400MW, according to The Swedish Energy Agency.
Climate change is becoming increasingly profitable. The cost of solar power fell 89 percent in the last decade, according to OurWorldInData, and solar energy is cheaper than fossil fuels, states the International Energy Agency IEA.
The new world hegemony can also be stabilized as today's developing countries possess large amounts of natural resources, a young population and a potentially rapid growth through foreign investors. It is the natural resources of developing countries that have contributed to the prevailing world hegemony. The riches from the natural resources of developing countries are still the basis for the prosperity of several of the industrialized countries.
Reality is often more complex than theory. At the same time, innovative development theories are required because proven methods have not changed world hegemony since Britain discovered fossil fuels in the 1700th century.
Climate change is thus one of several shortcuts to future prosperity for developing countries. The era of postcolonialism may be over when developing countries see the potential in a future fossil-free society.
