Image: Dennis Jarvis/Flickr
8. Decent work and economic growth

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

Image: U.S. Agency for International Development/Flickr
Image: U.S. Agency for International Development/Cambodia HARVEST/Fintrac Inc
Image: U.S. Agency for International Development/Flickr
Image: UNDP DRC

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News

Pond_Farmer_Bangladesh
In response to water scarcity, agriculture in north-western Bangladesh is transitioning – but leaving landless communities behind.
Mekong_Farmer_Vietnam
The Mekong Delta is sinking. Projections indicate that 90 per cent of this life-sustaining landform could disappear by 2100 due to human-driven factors such as groundwater pumping and sediment capture by dams, compounding the effects of sea-level rise.
Sustainability-themed mutual funds outperformed non-ESG peers and the KOSPI over one- and three-year periods
Sustainability-themed mutual funds outperformed non-ESG peers and the KOSPI over one- and three-year periods, while showing smaller drawdowns and lower downside volatility.
Mangrove_Mumbai_India
Mangroves implicated in a road project face removal or transplantation, raising ecological damage fears and threatening fishers’ way of life.
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Opinion

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Despite calls for mediation, the grouping has remained fragmented, highlighting its role as a ‘club’ like the G7 rather than a forum for collective action..
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The Iran war has reminded everyone, but especially Africans, of the structural instability of fossil-fuel prices. For African trustees, directors, asset managers, and other fiduciaries, the question is not whether capital should reposition, but whether institutions will act before events compel them to do so.
Osaka_Skyline_Trees
The Covid-19 pandemic and the wars in Ukraine and Iran have reframed the issue of sustainability, which is now as much about sovereignty and economic security as it is about planetary health. Countries and companies that fail to recognise this have everything to lose in the coming years.
Coastal_Wind_Farm_China
While tensions around the Strait of Hormuz are rattling global oil markets, energy security is no longer defined solely by access to fossil fuels. What China has understood, and Europe has not, is that security now depends on electricity systems that can deliver low-cost power at scale and support heavy industry.
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Videos

EB podcast - Resilience episode one image
In the inaugural episode of Eco-Business's new Resilience podcast series, industry leaders say the palm oil sector's ability to weather disruption will depend not on certification alone, but on rethinking the relationships that underpin the entire supply chain.
WASTED the impact documentary
The impact documentary exploring Asia's mounting waste crisis – and its solutions – is now streaming exclusively for Eco-Business subscribers.
TLC podcast
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.
KL petronas towers
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.
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Podcasts

TLC podcast
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.
EB Podcast cover_climate journalists
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.
EB Podcast camel herders in Alasha
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.
Climate tech podcast with Steve Melhuish
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.
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Strategic Organisations

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