Author(s)

Jiayi Ding

Corresponding Author

Jiayi Ding

ABSTRACT

As human beings, we strive for a fulfilling and prosperous life with better quality. Historical evidence suggests that industrialization which first took place in the eighteenth century is one of the most profound and effective ways of improving people’s quality of life. Countries that underwent industrialization first evolved into developed countries and thus gained significant advantages over others. However, developing countries of Global South which have not yet finished or even started industrialization remained poor and less competitive. I argue that rich developed countries have hindered the industrialization of poor developing countries in the past and present, namely through morally inexcusable actions of colonialism and a global-scaled existential crisis exacerbated by industrialized countries in the form of climate change. Accordingly, rich nations owe poor developing nations the fair opportunity to develop, which can be remedied by helping the poor to accomplish low carbon emissions industrialization and therefore effectively improve the quality of people in these nations.

KEYWORDS

Industrialization, Colonialism, Climate change