Kuznets curve (environmental)

An inverted U relationship between per capita income and some environmental pollution indicators. This relationship suggests that environmental pollution increases in the early stages of growth, until socio-economic needs are met, but it eventually decreases as income exceeds a certain level and funds can be allocated for reducing and preventing pollution. In practice, the relation holds for a few air and water pollutants with local effects, but there is scant evidence that the same is true for other indicators of environmental degradation, such as anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions.