Asia Pacific‘s leading platform for sustainable development
8. Decent work and economic growth
Over the past 25 years the number of workers living in extreme poverty has declined dramatically, despite the lasting impact of the 2008 economic crisis and global recession. In developing countries, the middle class now makes up more than 34 percent of total employment – a number that has almost tripled between 1991 and 2015.
However, as the global economy continues to recover we are seeing slower growth, widening inequalities, and not enough jobs to keep up with a growing labour force. According to the International Labour Organization, more than 204 million people were unemployed in 2015.
Read our stories to learn more about SDG Goal 8: Decent work and economic growth
To adopt SDG 8 Decent work and economic growth, in support of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, please contact us at partners@eco-business.com
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Pangan & Agrikultur
Migrant fishers’ deaths expose unchecked power at sea: study
A new study finds migrant fishers’ deaths at sea stem from systemic labour and governance failures, not isolated safety lapses.
Kebijakan & Keuangan
What does the US pursuit of critical minerals mean for the Global South?
Supply-chain push may bring new deals but do little to help producer countries develop their mining sectors.
Pangan & Agrikultur
Homestead farming is empowering Indigenous women in central India
Women in Mandla, Madhya Pradesh are becoming leaders of their homestead farms.
The devolved government in West Sumatra province, which is home to 5.8 million people on Indonesia’s Sumatra Island, intends to present new zoning plans to the central government that could regulate currently illegal mines operated by small groups of people.
Pangan & Agrikultur
India's pesticide reforms overlooks human health
Kebijakan & Keuangan
Could Chinese miners be facing stronger environmental standards?
Kebijakan & Keuangan
China’s Belt and Road must adapt to survive a hotter world
Opini
Kebijakan & Keuangan
AI can propel women forward – or set them back further
AI will mostly benefit those already well positioned to leverage it – men. Businesses and governments cannot afford to overlook gender as they invest in talent policies for the AI age.
Vietnam’s stalled Chinese-backed solar factories underscore how Global South nations must demand technology transfer and value addition – not just capital inflows – from China’s expanding overseas clean-tech investments.
Pangan & Agrikultur
How mountain terraces have helped Indigenous peoples live with climate uncertainty
From the Ifugao highlands to Morocco’s Anti-Atlas Mountains, Indigenous terrace farming illustrates how long-standing, locally adapted practices capture water, conserve soil and diversify crops to withstand intensifying climate extremes.
Karbon & Iklim
As climate diplomacy stalls, the economics are racing ahead
Despite political gridlock within countries and at global summits, climate change and ecological degradation are creating undeniable economic momentum. As renewables scale up, fossil fuels will become even less competitive; and as ecosystems degrade, markets will price in the risks and reward those who adapt.
Kebijakan & Keuangan
Global power struggles over the ocean’s finite resources
Kebijakan & Keuangan
Strategic priorities for Asean's newest member
Karbon & Iklim
China’s five green economy challenges in 2026
Video
The impact documentary exploring Asia's mounting waste crisis – and its solutions – is now streaming exclusively for Eco-Business subscribers.
In the latest episode of the Climate Tech in Asia series, we speak to Breakthrough Energy and Green COP about what the shifting geopolitical landscape means for the climate tech ecosystem in Asia.
Kebijakan & Keuangan
Simplifying sustainability reporting for SMEs
Studio EB
As Malaysia forges ahead with its 2050 net zero climate ambition, businesses must reshape their supply chains for a low carbon future. This Eco-Business video looks at how SMEs can adapt to new sustainability reporting requirements.
Kebijakan & Keuangan
Navigating uncertainty: AIA’s long-term bet on sustainable investing
In this wide-ranging fireside chat moderated by Eco-Business CEO Jessica Cheam, AIA Group's chief investment officer Dr Mark Konyn asserts there is “no U-turn” among corporates invested for the long term, even as political regimes change amid a new world order.
Podcasts
Karbon & Iklim
The challenges of the environment beat: A conversation with journalists in Southeast Asia
The Eco-Business Podcast speaks to reporters Nadiah Rosli, Adelia Dinda Sani, Gerald Flynn and Hannah Alcoseba Fernandez about funding limits, data access, and reporting against the odds in one of the world's most climate-vulnerable regions.
Pangan & Agrikultur
Faraway tale of pastoralist struggles spotlights China’s green growth complexities
A researcher lived with camel herders in Inner Mongolia for years to find out how they're coping with both conservation schemes and modernisation. He tells the Eco-Business Podcast about their challenges and lessons for the world.
Karbon & Iklim
‘Five years ago, everyone wanted to be Elon Musk’: Where is climate tech in Southeast Asia now?
Entrepreneur Steve Melhuish tells the EB Podcast where the biggest opportunities to reduce emissions and make money are in Southeast Asia, and why finding the right economic incentives is critical for climate tech startups.
Kebijakan & Keuangan
The race to insure Southeast Asia against climate risk
Asia lags the world in natural catastrophe protection. Part of the problem could be counting extreme weather losses only after they happen, industry insiders tell the Eco-Business podcast.
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