In a year when misinformation ran amok, “bad” news was vilified, and climate wins were few and far between, here are the stories that Eco-Business readers found most interesting.

Young Indonesian men sent to a 'drug rehabilitation' centre were subjected to violence and forced to work in an oil palm plantation. Two died from injuries sustained at the site, reports The Gecko Project.

EB Studio Research finds that financial institutions in the region are largely silent on conflicts over land rights. Most do not consider, in their lending and investment practices, whether women farm workers are treated unequally or if general labour conditions are fair.

As the Asian Development Bank embarks on a review of its policies on labourers and communities affected by its projects, advocates score its existing one for lack of public consultation and binding mechanisms.