Business & Economy

This category focuses on value creation, showcasing projects and activities that promote sustainability and health for both the planet and its inhabitants.

Displaced households face a longer route from emergency aid to income

Danish Refugee Council economic recovery programmes link immediate support with livelihoods and market access

Editorial Team SDG8

6 days ago4 min read

Rethinking what we value

Why success in the economy needs a new definition

Lovisa Ralpher WIN WIN

Nov 62 min read

East African employability summit to focus on skills and labour mobility in Nairobi

The Nairobi event on 11–12 November will examine youth employability, skills recognition and links between education and work

Editorial Team SDG8

Nov 43 min read

Livestock manure management between useful resources and pollution

Biogas and recovered fertilisers can capture value from pig and cattle waste, but nutrient surpluses remain a limiting factor

Editorial Team SDG6

Nov 35 min read

Historical memory puts trade, technology and climate policy in context

Past tariffs, factory regulation and ozone protection reveal the possibilities and limits of historical comparison

Editorial

Nov 25 min read

Fish farming expands food supplies while exposing environmental tradeoffs

Benefits and risks vary across species and farming systems as aquaculture grows alongside capture fisheries

Editorial Team SDG14

Nov 15 min read

Cocoa traceability gains expose gaps in farmer income and retailer accountability

The Chocolate Scorecard reports wider disclosure as volatile prices test how risk is shared along the cocoa supply chain

Editorial Team SDG12

Oct 315 min read

In-work poverty exposes the gap between employment and family security

Housing, childcare and household bills reveal why earning a wage does not always provide a stable life

Editorial Team SDG1

Oct 284 min read

Young adult loneliness extends beyond the screen

Evidence on digital habits, work and housing broadens understanding of loneliness among young adults

Editorial Team SDG3

Oct 254 min read

Girls gain ground in education but gaps in women’s leadership persist

Unpaid care, discrimination and institutional barriers limit women’s economic and political leadership

Editorial Team SDG5

Oct 224 min read

Obesity and hunger within the same communities

Food insecurity can mean unreliable access to nutritious food, even where calories are plentiful and obesity is rising

Editorial Team SDG2

Oct 214 min read

Antibiotic resistance exposes gaps across healthcare, farming and drug production

Diagnostics, sanitation and new payment models reveal why developing antibiotics is only one part of the response

Editorial Team SDG3

Oct 204 min read

Healthy diets remain beyond reach for billions

Full food shelves conceal a deeper divide between affordable calories and the varied foods needed for a healthy diet

Editorial Team SDG3

Oct 155 min read

School meals link hunger relief to learning and local economies

Evidence on attendance, family budgets and farm procurement tests the case for school feeding as a long-term investment

Editorial Team SDG4

Oct 145 min read

Copper and the physical limits of the electrification boom

Copper demand links the energy transition to mines, water, communities and the infrastructure behind everyday electricity

Editorial Team SDG9

Oct 135 min read

Can global food production keep pace with population growth?

Food production is projected to grow, but regional differences in demand, productivity and access shape food security

Editorial Team SDG2

Oct 105 min read

Military spending puts sustainable development choices under pressure

Rising defence budgets confront governments with competing demands for security, climate resilience and public services

Editorial Team SDG13

Oct 55 min read

The global sand crisis hidden inside modern construction

Demand for concrete, roads, glass and reclaimed land is putting rivers, coastlines and communities under pressure

Editorial Team SDG12

Oct 45 min read

Cash assistance is changing how humanitarian aid reaches people

Cash transfers offer choice and potential savings, while disrupted markets and digital exclusion can limit their reach

Editorial Team SDG2

Oct 35 min read

The right to housing in Europe: dignity, property and the limits of profitability

Vienna and Mari Carmen’s case in Madrid raise questions about reconciling affordable homes, investment and property protection

Editorial

Sep 295 min read

Enhanced rock weathering: can crushed stone become a climate solution?

Field trials show crop benefits, but mining demands and uncertain carbon accounting complicate climate assessments

Editorial Team SDG13

Sep 294 min read

Remittances exceed aid but costs limit their development impact

Migrant money supports education, healthcare and enterprise, while transfer costs and financial exclusion reduce its reach

Editorial Team SDG10

Sep 254 min read

Green steel tests the economics of industrial transformation

Hydrogen and recycled scrap can cut steel emissions, but clean electricity, investment and buyers determine the pace of change

Editorial Team SDG9

Sep 225 min read

The global race to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere

Carbon removal is attracting investment, but costs, storage risks and limited capacity complicate its role alongside emissions cuts

Editorial Team SDG13

Sep 175 min read

The opportunities and ecological risks of floating solar power

Solar arrays on artificial water bodies can spare land and limit evaporation, but ecological effects remain site-specific

Editorial Team SDG7

Sep 115 min read

Planned obsolescence is real, but the Centennial Light proves less than the myth claims

A 125-year-old bulb exposes genuine durability questions, while repair barriers offer stronger evidence of modern product limits

Editorial Team SDG12

Sep 105 min read

Regenerative agriculture can deliver results, but not every claim survives scrutiny

Soil-focused farming can improve measurable outcomes, although costs, yields and benefits vary sharply by place and practice

Editorial Team SDG2

Sep 55 min read

How cities can protect people from extreme heat

Heat plans combine public warnings and emergency relief with long-term changes to streets, homes and workplaces

Editorial Team SDG11

Sep 15 min read

Long-duration energy storage gains importance in renewable-rich grids

Wind- and solar-rich grids are testing storage that can shift electricity across hours, nights and calm weather.

Editorial Team SDG7

Aug 295 min read

Former fossil-fuel sites gain a second life in clean energy

Reusing mines and power sites can unlock grids and land, but jobs, pollution and local consent remain decisive

Editorial Team SDG7

Aug 265 min read

ClientEarth tests the reach of environmental law in public accountability cases

The legal charity targets governments and companies, while court outcomes reveal the reach and limits of climate litigation

Editorial Team SDG16

Aug 245 min read

Invasive species and the environmental and economic costs of global spread

Trade and travel move organisms into new ecosystems, while a warming climate can help them establish and spread

Editorial Team SDG15

Aug 235 min read

Built to last: repairing, adapting and reusing before building new

Designing buildings for repair, adaptation and disassembly could keep materials in use and reduce demand for new construction

Editorial Team SDG12

Aug 175 min read

Environmental crime operates as a global organised economy

Illegal extraction and dumping converge through corruption, financial secrecy and international commodity chains

Editorial Team SDG16

Aug 145 min read

The impact of underwater noise pollution on marine life

Shipping, construction, sonar and seismic surveys are crowding the ocean soundscape, but quieter methods are available

Editorial Team SDG14

Aug 125 min read

Debt-for-nature swaps face a test of lasting conservation

Debt relief can fund forests and oceans, but durable results depend on transparent finance and public consent

Editorial Team SDG14

Aug 105 min read

Debt repayments squeeze climate resilience investment in lower-income countries

Rising debt costs narrow budgets for flood protection, health systems, clean energy and disaster readiness

Editorial Team SDG17

Aug 74 min read

Working animals at the centre of community resilience

Around 200 million animals may contribute to the livelihoods of between 300 million and 600 million people worldwide

Editorial Team SDG8

Aug 46 min read

Advanced geothermal could take continuous clean power beyond volcanic regions

New drilling techniques may unlock deep heat almost anywhere, but costs, seismic risk and water use remain decisive

Editorial Team SDG7

Aug 26 min read

AI data centres are testing the limits of power and water systems

Faster computing is intensifying pressure on electricity grids, cooling water and environmental accountability

Editorial Team SDG9

Jul 316 min read

When climate risk makes insurance unaffordable

Repeated disasters are pushing insurance, mortgages and public budgets into a growing protection gap

Editorial Team SDG13

Jul 296 min read

From landfill to the power grid: the new generation of plants aiming to turn waste into energy without releasing its carbon

Europe is supporting pioneering projects that combine waste-to-energy with carbon capture to reduce the climate impact of residual waste

Editorial Team SDG9

Jul 194 min read

Locked out of finance, trapped in poverty

Banking exclusion leaves low-income workers, migrants and rural communities paying more and facing greater risks

Editorial Team SDG1

Jul 107 min read

After the tremor, the question we can no longer postpone

Venezuela must turn its natural resources into reconstruction, dignity and a shared future

Editorial

Jun 276 min read

The return of local manufacturing can strengthen resilience, but only if work is decent

Shorter supply chains are gaining attention as communities seek resilience, repair skills and fairer industrial jobs

Editorial Team SDG8

Jun 206 min read

Soil as a public good is becoming a food security test

Soil degradation is no longer only a farming concern. It is a climate, hunger and civic resilience issue

Editorial Team SDG2

Jun 176 min read

The hidden cost of cheap food

Low prices can conceal weak wages, soil damage and wasteful supply chains behind supermarket abundance

Editorial Team SDG12

Jun 165 min read

Girls’ Clubs, the rise of global society

Young women in Uganda are reshaping leadership, identity and community impact through collective action

Editorial

Jun 103 min read

Green infrastructure emerges as a new weapon against climate change

Renewable energy is strengthening Kenya’s climate resilience, but coastal communities warn that clean growth must not come at the expense of marine ecosystems

Clare Ochieng

May 304 min read

From the strait of Hormuz to the streets of Nairobi: How global conflict is reshaping east Africa’s economic stability

Middle East tensions are driving fuel prices higher across East Africa, exposing fragile economies and deepening unrest

Edwin Ochola

May 264 min read

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Business & Economy

This section highlights the endeavours of innovative entrepreneurs who are not just running businesses but are also at the forefront of value creation within the economy. It delves into how these leaders take risks to develop sustainable business models and practices that go beyond profit, emphasizing the importance of capital and investment when used to foster long-term value.
Key topics include the circular economy, which reimagines industrial and economic systems to eliminate waste and continually reuse resources. We explore how businesses incorporate this model to enhance sustainability and efficiency. Additionally, the section covers innovations in business that contribute to environmental and social welfare, showcasing companies that prioritize ecological integrity and fair labor practices, particularly in protecting children in the workforce.
Through in-depth articles, interviews, and analysis, it provides insights into how businesses can thrive economically while being stewards of social and environmental responsibility. This category is a resource for readers interested in how economic activity can be for the benefit of all, rather than just enriching small groups on the backs of nature and people. It is offering examples of how investment and entrepreneurial spirit is driving significant, positive changes in our world.