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 [email protected]
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Corporate Responsibility
Philippines adopts mandatory ISSB-based sustainability reporting standards
The Philippines Securities and Exchange Commission is officially requiring large publicly-listed companies to start applying rules by the International Sustainability Standards Board to measure and disclose their sustainability performance.
Policy & Finance
Q&A: Five key climate questions for China’s next ‘five-year plan’
China’s central and local governments, as well as state-owned enterprises, are busy preparing for the next five-year planning period, spanning 2026-2030.
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What is China’s contribution to climate finance?
Though there is no official tracking, China’s green investments in the Global South have been vast.
Policy & Finance
Taiwan’s green jobs gap nears 30,000 as net zero drive lifts demand
Carbon & Climate
Eco-Business’ 10 most read stories of 2025
Opinion
Carbon & Climate
China’s five green economy challenges in 2026
Addressing energy wastage and taming manufacturing overcapacity are among the domestic issues that China must address as it strives to meet its climate goals.
Carbon & Climate
How insurance can transform our resilience to climate shocks
From Hurricane Melissa in the Caribbean to floods in Southeast Asia, insurance is an underused tool for adaptation to climate extremes.
Progress is fragile and 2026 must be the year of action and accountability on gender rights.
Policy & Finance
India’s climate diplomacy must account for domestic inequalities
Economic liberalisation in India has shifted the emissions burden from more equal and developed states to less equal ones. This needs to change.
Carbon & Climate
Three reasons why China wants global green leadership after COP30
Food & Agriculture
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Carbon & Climate
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Videos
Policy & Finance
Simplifying sustainability reporting for SMEs
EB Studio
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.
Policy & Finance
Navigating uncertainty: AIA’s long-term bet on sustainable investing
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Corporate Responsibility
Explainer: How does corporate purpose drive sustainable growth?
EB Studio
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.
Policy & Finance
Tackling climate change in a mosaicked Asia
EB Studio
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.
Podcasts
Carbon & Climate
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.
Food & Agriculture
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.
Carbon & Climate
‘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.
Policy & Finance
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.
