The 2025 edition of Ecology and Future in Emerging Economies convenes at a critical global crossroads. With climate deadlines looming and inequality widening, this summit offers a forum for deep, unflinching dialogue on a central question: How can developing economies—many of which rely on fossil fuels and extractive industries—achieve full economic development without being constrained by environmental rules shaped by wealthier, post-industrial nations? This year, we delve into the politics, economics, and ethics of global sustainability demands and how they intersect with the developmental sovereignty of nations still working to industrialize. The stakes are high: balancing planetary survival with the undeniable right to progress for billions.