The evidence comes from more than 30 countries that have already achieved what’s known as “absolute decoupling.” That means they’ve figured out how to reduce carbon emissions while continuing to grow economically, so those goals are not incompatible.As you look at it, you might be thinking: What about the fact that lots of countries outsource carbon-intensive industries to other, often poorer countries, then import the goods?Many factors have made this possible, including technological progress on cheaper renewables and new regulations on air pollution, which enable countries to reduce the greenhouse gas intensity of their economy — the amount of carbon embedded in each economic buck.Although we know decoupling is possible, a big question remains: Will it be enough to reduce emissions as fast as we need to — meaning, fast enough to stave off the climate emergency?Some developing countries — say, in sub-Saharan Africa — will probably need to keep relying on fossil fuels for certain sectors of their economies over the next few decades."