As to GDP numbers being reassuring, economies slow down when they reach near parity with developed nations. Japan’s famous for rapid growth hitting the wall when they approached parity with first world countries. China for example already built the three gorges dam, they can’t benefit by simply building another a few feet down stream.

Per person data is therefore important from a technology standpoint not an environmental standpoint. Existing infrastructure slows the transition for developed economies, but developing economies are far more agile because their infrastructure ends up using newer technology as they build it. Many countries effectively skipped landlines because cellphone infrastructure is cheaper to build out. Bangladesh is simply never going to see the same investment in IC cars that the US did. It’s not even aiming for the US’s 2020 numbers it’s aiming for the best tech available when they hit the wall.