This term has been used when describing sustainable growth in the developing world, while being aware of the need to maintain the security of energy supply and constrain the emission of additional greenhouse gases.
For example, India's national Integrated Energy Policy of 2005 noted current elasticity at 0.80, while planning for 7-8% GDP growth.
[1] By 2007, India's Ambassador was able to inform the United Nations Security Council that its GDP was growing by 8%, with only 3.7% growth in its total primary energy consumption,[2] suggesting it had effectively de-linked energy consumption from economic growth.
[3] China has shown the opposite relationship, as, after 2000, it has consumed proportionately more energy to achieve its high double-digit growth rate.
Much of this extra demand has been sourced internationally from fossil fuels, such as coal and petroleum.