The Environmental Kuznets Curve hypothesis (EKC) postulates an inverted u-shaped curve between important pollutants and per capita GDP analogous to the relationship between in-come inequality and income per capita which has been analysed by Kuznets in 1955. The arti-cle focuses on an empirical analysis of structural change between branches as one major de-terminant of EKC´s. The results of a cointegration analysis show that amongst other determi-nants the decline of environmental intensive branches in Germany during the last decades can be econometrically explained by the development of energy prices and the so-called Fourastié hypothesis.