Economic development and the eradication of energy poverty are increasingly seen as key components in a comprehensive strategy to prevent dangerous climate change, along with greenhouse gas emission reductions and adaptation measures. But the current crop of climate economics models used to guide policymakers assumes very little economic growth in the poorest countries. This report examines the implications of the 'no-development' assumption that underlies many climate policy targets, and finds that, taking developing countries’ right to future emissions as a given, economic development in the poorest countries requires more stringent mitigation actions by their richer neighbors, both to reduce industrialized countries’ emissions and to provide funding for emissions reduction measures in the developing world.