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Sustainable enterprises

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Sustainable enterprises are key to ensuring job and wealth creation, a just transition to environmental sustainability and inclusive economies and societies. Around the world, companies and consumers are increasingly looking for products and services that have a positive impact on the community, the environment and society.

The ILO works to support and promote enterprises development because Decent Work happens, or doesn’t happen, at the workplace, in enterprises. Without productive and sustainable enterprises there is no Decent Work. Without Decent Work through enterprises there is no social justice, peace or prosperity.

The ILO collaborates with its tripartite constituency of governments, employers’ and workers’ organizations to advance enterprise development in a manner that aligns enterprise growth with sustainable development objectives and the creation of productive employment and decent work.

News and articles

Empowering women and embracing sustainability: Mavia Bakery is transforming Beirut's Culinary Scene
women entrepreneurs in Lebanon posing in their bakery

Photo Essay – Empowering Lebanon's youth

Empowering women and embracing sustainability: Mavia Bakery is transforming Beirut's Culinary Scene

Unlocking national potential: Two years of ILO Productivity Ecosystems for Decent Work
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Unlocking national potential: Two years of ILO Productivity Ecosystems for Decent Work

Publications

Providing care through the social and solidarity economy - Occupied Palestinian Territory

Providing care through the social and solidarity economy - Occupied Palestinian Territory

Providing care through the social and solidarity economy - Lebanon

Lebanon: An assessment summary

Providing care through the social and solidarity economy - Lebanon

Providing care through the social and solidarity economy - Colombia

Colombia: An assessment summary

Providing care through the social and solidarity economy - Colombia

Strategic priorities

MSME policies for enabling environment and decent work
A human hand holding a green shoot, representing sustainability and enabling environment.

MSME policies for enabling environment and decent work

Sustainable investment
Collection of financial charts and documents.

Sustainable investment

Greening enterprises
Farmer at work with his coworker (one of them on wheelchair) in a greenhouse

Greening enterprises

Responsible business conduct
Workers on a factory floor

Responsible business conduct

Key areas of work

Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
A women standing by a sewing machine in her embroidery workshop.

Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises

Multinational enterprises
Robotic finger pointing upwards to blue sky with constellations

Multinational enterprises

Cooperatives, Social and Solidarity Economy
Orchid farmer in Thailand.

Cooperatives, Social and Solidarity Economy

Social finance
Woman exchanging money at counter.

Social finance

Projects

Sustainable investments in African agriculture

Sustainable investments in African agriculture

Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE) in Asia

UNEP, ILO, UNDP, UNIDO, UNITAR

Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE) in Asia

Training resources

View our training courses on enterprises and sustainable development offered by the International Training Centre of the ILO
Multiracial group of students and teacher having fun during teamwork

View our training courses on enterprises and sustainable development offered by the International Training Centre of the ILO

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Landscape of a business district with skyscrapers
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Related topics

Just transition towards environmentally sustainable economies and societies
Fishers of Barangay Acmac

Green jobs

Just transition towards environmentally sustainable economies and societies

Supply chains
Shipping containers wait for transport at port

Supply chains

Formalization
Informal worker in Johannesburg

Formalization