Climate change is quickly emerging as one of the greatest challenges of the twenty-first century. The reality of global climate change is becoming increasingly apparent both in the scientific evidence compiled and in the visible and tangible impacts observed by individuals and communities around the world. Policy responses to climate change will have to rely on the generation and effective dissemination of new technological capabilities. The development and dissemination of such technologies are already a key preoccupation of technology policy at the national and international levels. The challenge for technology policy is multifaceted, encompassing environmental imperatives and also other societal objectives such as promoting economic development and social justice. The benefits and burdens associated with new climate technologies must be shared equitably within and between generations, and it is particularly important to ensure that the needs of people experiencing poverty are not merely treated as external policy objectives but that they are actively incorporated into the design, development, and dissemination of climate technologies. Eradication of poverty and maintaining a habitable Earth are distinct but interconnected societal objectives. This paper briefly outlines these connections and elaborates on the tensions between them. It also touches upon the issue of climate transition and the conflicts of interest in development models. There is also an argument about the nonsustainability of the current pattern of development in rich countries. Is it not true that we are still facing formidable difficulties in achieving or maintaining our full welfare in a “beyond-carbon finish” situation? This can be interpreted as evidence of our difficulty in finding the path to a better quality of life that is no longer based on ever-increasing energy consumption. In this context, the technology issue becomes a key strategic factor, and the speed with which technical innovation diffuses is a major determinant of success for the transition process. It seems possible, at least in a theoretical framework, to design long-term strategies that take into account both environmental and social objectives to meet sustainable growth requirements within a planet that has become overpopulated and overloaded with anthropogenic pollutants.