On average, domestic material consumption in OECD countries dropped by nearly 11% between 2007 and 2011, while GDP remained virtually level. If productivity is measured relative to 2007 consumption levels, gains are reduced. Using this concept helps analyse and assess the linkages between environmental degradation and economic development. In practice, the measurement of decoupling refers to the relative growth rates of a pressure on the environment and of an economically relevant variable to which it is causally linked.