This would seem to be in the case in the OECD area. Global relative decoupling has occurred spontaneously at a rate of 1-2% per annum, mainly due to the fact that markets for bulk infrastructures, buildings and other resource intensive economic activities have been saturated in the advanced nations. In order to make the just transition to a greener, more social inclusive global economy, absolute reductions in resource use will be required in industrialised economies, while developing economies will need to face the challenge of relative decoupling (making sure that resource consumption rates are lower than economic growth rates over the long term).