Rich nations built their wealth on coal, oil and gas. Now the world is asking poorer countries to chart a different course. Is a fossil-free path to development realistic?
Mozambique is at a crossroads. On its northern coast, billions of dollars' worth of offshore gas projects could bring significant new revenue. At the same time, the country is a hydro powerhouse with huge untapped solar and wind potential .
"These are some of the most interesting cases because there are no sunk costs yet. You could still go in different directions," said Philipp Trotter, professor in sustainability management at the University of Wuppertal in Germany.
As global pressure mounts to move away from new fossil fuel development, the dilemma sharpens a long-running debate: Must poorer countries burn fossil fuels to prosper — or can they leapfrog straight to clean energy?
More profit from fossil fuels?
For decades, industrialized nations built their wealth on burning coal, oil and gas, producing a disproportionately large share of global emissions in the process.
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