In recent years, the debate on sustainability in developing countries has become increasingly central. Governments, academic institutions, and international organizations are all grappling with a crucial question: how can economic growth, modernization, and environmental responsibility coexist in contexts where development is still underway?

I had the pleasure and the honor of being invited as a speaker at the Think Road Forum 2025. Rethinking Sustainable Development in Central Asia in the Age of Emerging Regionalism, organized by the Institute for Advanced International Studies (IAIS), an independent and interdisciplinary research institute within the University of World Economy and Diplomacy (UWED) in Uzbekistan.

This invitation has offered me not only an opportunity for international dialogue, but also a privileged vantage point to observe how a rapidly evolving country is approaching sustainability with remarkable maturity, far beyond the clichés often associated with emerging economies.

The Dilemma of Developing Countries: Is It Really “Growth First, Sustainability Later”?

One of the most common expressions heard in developing countries within the global sustainability debate is:

“We must develop first, and only then can we focus on sustainability.”

This position is not entirely illogical: historically, many nations now considered advanced built their prosperity on industrial models with high environmental impact, implementing ecological policies only after achieving economic stability.

But this linear paradigm — development first, sustainability later — is no longer adequate on geopolitical, economic, or technological grounds.

Today, postponing sustainability does not mean gaining more time to grow; it means risking exclusion from the major trajectories of global development.

The Case of Uzbekistan: A Modern and Forward-Looking Vision

Uzbekistan represents a virtuous and, in many ways, counterintuitive example compared to the “growth first” narrative.

The country is addressing sustainability with strategic intelligence and long-term political foresight, combining economic growth, institutional reforms, and a clear orientation toward sustainable solutions. There is none of the fear—common in other contexts—that sustainability might slow progress. On the contrary, it is increasingly perceived as a driver of future competitiveness.

This forward-looking vision manifests across mobility, infrastructure, energy, digitalization, and education. I wish to express my sincere admiration to the University of World Economy and Diplomacy and to its Director, Mr. Sodyq Safoev, whose leadership and commitment play a decisive role in cultivating this forward-looking mindset. Their capacity to promote a culture of sustainability and responsible development is exemplary, and represents a model for the broader region and beyond.

Such an approach opens the door to a broader reflection on what sustainability truly means for developing countries, and it is precisely from this perspective that I would like to articulate the core argument of this article. 

Sustainability Is Not Only an Energy Transition: It Is (Above All) an Industrial Transition

When discussing sustainability in developing countries, attention typically focuses on the energy transition, the shift from fossil fuels to renewable sources. This is necessary, but not sufficient.

My thesis is the following:

Before the energy transition, developing countries need an industrial and technological transition.

Sustainability is not only about what energy is used (clean energy), but how that energy is produced, stored, and used.

For this reason, developing countries should concentrate on three strategic pillars:

1. Producing clean energy

Investing in solar, wind, hydrogen, and emerging energy technologies—not only adopting them, but producing and developing them locally to reduce external dependence.

2. Storing clean energy

Without advanced batteries, thermal storage systems, and smart grids, the energy transition remains incomplete. Those who produce the technologies for energy storage become key players in global energy security.

3. Using clean energy

Electric vehicles, zero-emission public transport, low-emission manufacturing: it is not enough to import such solutions; countries must produce them or participate in their value chains.

If developing countries invest in these three axes — production, storage, utilization — they become not mere followers of the global transition, but active contributors, innovators, and indispensable global partners.

In this sense, industrial and technological transition is the true key to the future.

Why Do It: to Build a National Identity Oriented Toward the Common Good

One of the obstacles to adopting sustainable strategies is the perception that sustainability reflects a model “imposed” by advanced economies—a moral or political requirement to appear modern or responsible.

But this vision is limited and ultimately counterproductive. Sustainability should not be pursued in order to:

• become “carbon neutral” as an external obligation,

• obtain geopolitical approval,

• comply with standards defined elsewhere.

Sustainability must become part of a nation’s culture, its long-term vision, and its collective identity. Only then can it become a shared project, not a regulatory checklist. The ultimate goal is not reputation, but something much higher: the common good and the prosperity of people.

Nations that embed sustainability into their cultural and identity frameworks are far more likely to build a future that is equitable, stable, and competitive.

From Sustainability to Generativity: Building the Foundations of a New Development Paradigm

Sustainability is not a luxury for wealthy countries, nor a barrier to the growth of emerging nations. It is, rather, the language of the future and the condition for meaningful participation in the global economy. Yet even this vision, necessary as it is, represents only a midpoint in a broader evolutionary trajectory.

The next step goes beyond sustainability. It is the transition toward generativity—the capacity of countries not only to minimize harm, but to actively create social, economic, cultural, and environmental value. Generativity means designing systems that do not merely preserve resources, but multiply opportunities; it is development that regenerates ecosystems, strengthens communities, and enhances the well-being of future generations.

Those who invest in industrial and technological transition — alongside the energy transition — will be best positioned to lead the growth of the coming decades. But those who embrace generativity will shape the very logic of that growth.

Countries that transform sustainability into a cultural, identity-driven, and value-based project lay the necessary foundation. But countries that advance toward generativity build a developmental model capable of producing shared prosperity, long-term stability, and a renewed social contract.

Uzbekistan shows that this path is possible. Its current trajectory demonstrates not only that sustainability can become a project of national future, but that it can evolve into a generative vision—a model in which development is not merely preserved, but continually amplified for the benefit of people, institutions, and the environment.