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
Adopt this goalNews
Carbon & Climate
Drought in the Amazon: How the world’s nature is drying out
Drought and desertification is making human life on the planet harder to sustain. What can be done?
Carbon & Climate
Who are climate migrants and what can the world do for them?
Climate migration is a growing issue driven by disasters and conflict.
Carbon & Climate
Trapped between conflict and climate disaster, women in Myanmar find limited channels to seek social support: research
A forced conscription order earlier this year led to an exodus of men, forcing women to take on the role of primary protector in villages. But these women are also vulnerable to rape and violence and mostly remain silent in the face of such threats, according to a local think tank research.
Carbon & Climate
Southeast Asia’s environmental defenders on the frontline
Environmental defenders across Southeast Asia face threats, violence and legal hurdles in their fight for justice. Five share their struggles.
Opinion
Policy & Finance
Need human rights research? Talk to the Global South
If a tea seller or a street vendor in Mumbai had drafted the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, they might have looked very different. The focus on Global North research in academia needs to shift.
It is imperative that adaptation measures are implemented now to safeguard against future extreme climate events.
Carbon & Climate
Redefine the romanticised narrative of the ‘resilient Filipino’ for broader climate policy transformation
Climate change is clearly affecting the Philippines. Whether it can transform a long-held national attribute into successful climate adaptation will determine what the future holds.
Policy & Finance
Did COP29 fail women?
The climate crisis is not gender-neutral, so our solutions cannot be. Without a consistent focus on gender-responsive climate finance, we risk perpetuating cycles of vulnerability.
Food & Agriculture
Asean should drive action for agri-food sector after COP29
Policy & Finance
The delay to EU deforestation rules must help people transition
Videos
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.
Green Buildings
Getting our urban environment to net-zero
EB Studio
Our urban infrastructure is responsible for almost 40 per cent of global carbon emissions. Climate solutions need to include the biggest energy guzzlers, clean energy and retrofitting old buildings.
Carbon & Climate
Women in STEM driving sustainability
Women play a key role in developing innovations to push for sustainability, but barriers remain to their entry into STEM careers. To celebrate International Day of Women & Girls in Science, EB Impact speaks to three women in science on making an impact and pursuing careers in STEM.
Podcasts
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.
Policy & Finance
‘We do not just adopt global standards, we respond to domestic challenges’: Philippine central bank exec Lyn Javier
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas assistant governor tells the Eco-Business Podcast about the regulator’s maiden sustainability report that features an empirical study of climate impacts on banks as well as the nation’s first taxonomy.
