The Search Engine Planting Trees Worldwide
What if I told you that you can contribute to reforesting the world easily while searching the Internet?
Introduction
Ecosia is a search engine and a browser that donates all the revenue from its usage to finance tree-planting programmes all around the world.
Ecosia logo. Source: Ecosia.org
It belongs to German company Ecosia GmbH, which was founded by economist Christian Kroll in 2009 during the UN climate talks in Copenhagen (COP 15). From the beginning, Kroll established two fundamental commitments: never sell Ecosia and never take profits out of it.
Ecosia’s CEO Christian Kroll. Source: Ecosia.org
A unique business model
Their mission goes beyond planting trees: capturing carbon from the atmosphere, restoring ecosystems, protecting biodiversity, regenerating soil and combating desertification, while improving the lives of local communities.
Initially they donated 80% of their revenue, but in 2018 they took a revolutionary step: they adopted a steward-ownership model and sold all shares to the non-profit Purpose Foundation. They now donate 100% of their profits.
Ecosia’s team. Source: Ecosia.org
The Purpose Foundation promotes this innovative business model where control remains with people inside the company (stewards) and profits are reinvested in the company’s purpose instead of enriching external shareholders. Renowned German companies like Bosch and Zeiss already operate under this model.
Projects: reforestation and climate change
Their reforestation projects span over 70 active initiatives across more than 35 countries, implemented by local organizations and people they finance.
Ecosia’s supporting reforestation project in Kenya. Source: Ecosia.org
But their commitment goes beyond trees. To address the climate crisis, they’ve built their own solar power plants, achieving 200% carbon negative status: they produce twice the energy they need!
Strategic Partnerships
Besides, they have partnered with several companies and organizations, in both deforestation and climate change problems.
On the deforestation issue, they have invested in companies like Planet-A-Foods, which sells a deforestation-free chocolate, and Juicy Marbles, that develops a plant-based filet mignon. Perhaps the most important contribution is the 2020 partnership with TreeCard. This independent wooden debit card company dedicates 80% of its interchange fees to reforestation. It means approximately one tree for every $60 spent.
On climate change, they make climate investments, supporting renewable solar companies like Enviria, Ecoligo, Naturstrom AG, Zolar… and also organic and/or regenerative agriculture projects, like Ostmost and Wildfarmed , which also helps sequester CO2!
Transparency and additional values
Ecosia publishes their financial reports every month, classified by field, and also included climate investments!
A Green Search displays a green leaf or fuel plant depending on the sustainability of the company searched, based on data from organizations like Urgewald and Climate Accountability Institute.
On personal privacy, they anonymize searches within seven days. They don’t create personal profiles based on users’ search history, and they don’t sell any information to advertisers. For European Union citizens, they must comply with the General Data Protection Regulation, which is the world’s most restrictive on the field!
Impressive achievements
There are already over 20 million people worldwide using Ecosia, which allowed them to donate more than 94 million euros in total. So they have planted more than 230 million trees worldwide —in an area superior to 150.000 hectares (over 240.000 football fields!)— and installed more than 20.000 solar panels.
Ecosia’s supporting reforestation project in Senegal. Source: Ecosia.org
On the collective impact, more than two thirds have been to reforestation and regenerative agriculture projects (70%). The other part goes to solar renewable energy (15%), green innovation (10%) and climate activism (5%).
For all mentioned and more they have been awarded with the prestigious B Corporation distinctive in 2014 by -also non-profit- B Lab Europe.
As the amount of its commissions Ecosia gets from the searches depends on how many people use it, you can help even if you don’t buy anything from the platform! For example by making it your default search engine or browsers, or spreading or incorporating it in your company or Campus.
Personal opinion as improvement opportunities
As a matter of fact, I think Ecosia is missing the incredible opportunities that wetland restoration offers in terms of climate mitigation and biodiversity enhancing (why people tends to overlook wetlands even in the UNFCCC?)
It seems currently connected with several multilateral environmental agreements, such as the Convention on Biological Diversity, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), and the United Nations Framework Convention to Combat Climate Change (UNFCCC).
Including wetlands as carbon sinks -they are actually more efficient in carbon sequestration that the equatorial rainforest- can help to also relate it with the Ramsar Convenion and the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS).
M’encanta la idea d’Ecosia! I personalment m’agrada més l’experiència d’usuari que la de Google. Potser m’he acostumat però em sembla més còmode i que cerca millor també.
Crec que Ecosia està fent un error estratègic al no considerar els aiguamolls com a sumiders efectius de gasos d’efecte hivernacle, ja que són en general més eficients en això que els boscos tropicals. A més a més, també serveixen com a adaptació al canvi climàtic, al previndre inundacions, mitigar tempestes, etc. I per suposat potèncien la biodiversitat i la sostenibilitat local (per què tothom sembla oblidar-se dels aiguamolls vers els boscos, inclòs a l’UNFCCC?)
Canvia tant els arbres que han plantat i els diners que han donat que l’article es queda desactualitzat prou. Els arbres plantats són una aproximació pels diners obtinguts calculats, i no incloen els que moren, però tampoc incloen els que naixen d’estos plantats!
Per què esta ferrament no és habitual al sector públic? Per què escoltem a polítics parlar (ara sí) de canvi climàtic i no facilitar sol·lucions senzilles i efectives com el teletreball, els buscadors sostenibles, les agrupacions descentralitzades d’energia…?
I si donaren una manera en que l’empresa poguera certificar els arbres que han contribuït a plantar i que açò servira com una ferramenta de promoció?
Conclusion and ending
So, ready to make a difference with every search?
Start planting trees with Ecosia today - it’s completely free and takes just 2 minutes to set up.
This is my refer link (I get 0 on commissions but I would love to help it spread up!):
https://www.ecosia.org/browser?referrer=friends-gst6k3
*You can find more information on Ecosia Blog, Ecosia help center, and on the Ecosia newsletter.
Do you have any question? What do you think about all of this? Please feel free to direct e-mail me