Wealthy nations have a responsibility to assist developing countries in their transition to clean energy, given their historical contributions to global emissions.
Developing countries are calling for compensation from Western nations, which bear significant responsibility for the historical accumulation of CO2 emissions due to industrial activities dating back to the Industrial Revolution. These nations argue that Western countries should compensate them for not exploiting their coal reserves and for the higher costs associated with transitioning to clean energy infrastructure.
To support a global transition to clean energy, Western nations must either provide developing countries with access to affordable clean technologies or subsidize their adoption. While the COP21 agreement included pledges for compensation funds, ensuring consistent fulfillment of these financial and technology transfer commitments presents an ongoing challenge for Western countries.