It is shown that growing economies improved environmental performances during the last decades when environmental regulations were pulled back in favour of market negotiations. Based on the environmentalist model for assessing impacts, it is shown that the resource-intensity of economies declined mainly due to changing economic activities towards services, and that environmental efficiency improved through more uses of environmental technologies. Economic growth at lower environmental impacts is achieved in a larger number of high-, mid-, and low-income countries while a few dozen economies grew along with more well-being and better environmental qualities. Factors that generate high performances are underpinned.