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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Bandar-bandar
Thailand’s Hat Yai rebuilds after devastating floods
Despite a history of flooding and forecasts of heavy La Niña rains, the Thai city of Hat Yai received little effective warning before floodwaters surged last November to devastating levels.
Makanan & Pertanian
Climate, pests and pollution fuel crop losses across India
Unseasonal rains, pest outbreaks and land degradation are driving crop losses in India, while toxins, poor grain quality and delayed harvests threaten health and incomes.
Makanan & Pertanian
The Philippine island positioning itself as Asia-Pacific’s agroecology hub
Ramon “Chin-Chin” Uy Jr is a sustainable food entrepreneur based on Negros Island in the Philippines, which recently hosted the global “good food” movement Slow Food’s first-ever regional conference in Asia and the Pacific.
Polisi & Kewangan
The Belt and Road boomed in 2025
China's engagement in overseas renewables grew once again, though not as much as in oil and gas.
Makanan & Pertanian
Kerala Adivasi families emancipated by growing yam, tapioca
Pendapat
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.
Makanan & Pertanian
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 & Cuaca
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.
Polisi & Kewangan
Global power struggles over the ocean’s finite resources
As climate change and great-power rivalry intensify, oceans are emerging as a geopolitical frontier – testing whether diplomacy can manage rising tensions over shipping routes, seabed minerals and fishing grounds.
Polisi & Kewangan
Strategic priorities for Asean's newest member
Karbon & Cuaca
China’s five green economy challenges in 2026
Karbon & Cuaca
How insurance can transform our resilience to climate shocks
Video
Polisi & Kewangan
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.
Polisi & Kewangan
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.
Studio EB
Amid fresh debates about what corporate purpose should be, there is mounting evidence that corporate purpose leads to stronger brand reputation, better talent attraction and more resilience, leading to improved financial performance.
Polisi & Kewangan
Tackling climate change in a mosaicked Asia
Studio EB
Asia's green transition pathways need to be socially inclusive given huge differences in economic development across the region, says experts at the Boston Consulting Group. State-owned enterprises have an "outsized" role to play, they add.
Audio
Karbon & Cuaca
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.
Makanan & Pertanian
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 & Cuaca
‘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.
Polisi & Kewangan
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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