Can developing economies achieve rapid growth while transitioning to renewable energy?

Context

Developing economies face a fundamental tension: they need rapid economic growth to lift populations out of poverty, yet the traditional fossil fuel-based path to industrialization accelerates climate change. The question is whether renewable energy—solar, wind, and hydroelectric power—can scale fast enough and cheaply enough to power growth without the carbon-intensive coal and oil that wealthy nations used. This matters now because developing countries account for an increasing share of global emissions, and their energy choices over the next decade will largely determine whether climate targets are achievable.