This paper examines the relationship between economic growth and environmental quality using data from the Global Environmental Monitoring System (GEMS). The study covers four types of environmental indicators: urban air pollution, oxygen regime in river basins, fecal contaminants in river basins, and heavy metal concentrations in river basins. The authors find that economic growth initially leads to an increase in pollution levels but subsequently improves environmental quality. This improvement occurs before a country reaches a per capita income of $8,000. For most indicators, the turning points in the relationship between pollution and income are before this threshold. The paper also discusses the methodology used to estimate the reduced-form equations and the limitations of the data. The findings suggest that economic growth does not inevitably harm the environment but can lead to environmental degradation in very poor countries, which improves once a certain level of income is reached. The authors conclude that the observed relationships are not inevitable and that low-income countries have the opportunity to learn from past experiences and adopt cleaner technologies and policies to preserve the environment.This paper examines the relationship between economic growth and environmental quality using data from the Global Environmental Monitoring System (GEMS). The study covers four types of environmental indicators: urban air pollution, oxygen regime in river basins, fecal contaminants in river basins, and heavy metal concentrations in river basins. The authors find that economic growth initially leads to an increase in pollution levels but subsequently improves environmental quality. This improvement occurs before a country reaches a per capita income of $8,000. For most indicators, the turning points in the relationship between pollution and income are before this threshold. The paper also discusses the methodology used to estimate the reduced-form equations and the limitations of the data. The findings suggest that economic growth does not inevitably harm the environment but can lead to environmental degradation in very poor countries, which improves once a certain level of income is reached. The authors conclude that the observed relationships are not inevitable and that low-income countries have the opportunity to learn from past experiences and adopt cleaner technologies and policies to preserve the environment.