Why entertain a hypothetical that isn't anywhere near reflective of what is projected?
It's a bit of an unnecessarily emotional way to frame the debate, but climate change under current projections will kill a lot of people, including children. Realistic forecasts suggest many deaths from increased natural disasters, air pollution, famine, drought, heat stress, poverty and war.
Unironically this is how most of the first world thinks while expecting us from the third to completely change our lifestyles and don't we even dare to try to develop the same way you guys did.
Why would you develop your economy like it was the 1800s?
Basic human physiological needs did not change a lot since the 1800s.
Technology has greatly though, which is what the comment implies.
Because burning coal is still cheaper than wind turbines, for example.
It's obvious the person responding to isn't proposing that third world countries develop their economies using 1800s tech.