Ecosia is a search engine browser that plants trees for every search. It claims to donate 80 per cent of the ad revenue generated by the user search towards planting more trees and contribute towards global afforestation. They work with local communities and plant trees in all those areas of the world where it is needed the most. Ecosia has more than 15 million users who use their apps daily. With regular traction and a loyal user- base, Ecosia has made a dent and contributed towards making the world a greener and more sustainable place.
Projects in different countries
Ecosia plants trees in different parts of the world as a response to every single search made by their user. In Thailand, Ecosia has planted trees to transform rubber farms into monoculture agroforestry. Since 2021, Ecosia has planted 9000 trees in this country.
In the Philippines, they are working with small-scale farmers to restore the land with reforestation. They have partnered with NTFP- EP who work with indigneous communities and are planting seedlings around the forest area.
Cameroon is also a part of their initiative that restores biodiversity of the aea and boosts agricultural livelihood of the local communities. The project in Cameroon is mainly aiming towards restoring Mount Bamboutos since it provides the natural habitat for many of the endemic species of the world.
In Nigeria, they are promoting a sustainable way to support rural farming. In the last few decades, Nigeria has seen rapid urbanization, development, and several industries are on the rise. As a result, major deforestation has taken place. The project in Nigeria is aiming towards maintaining a healthy balance between rural development and the ecosystem.
In Guatemala, plantation around the forest protects the existing forest land and nourishes it. Since 2020, Ecosia has planted 160,055 trees in this country. Decades of deforestation resulting from cultivation of cash crops and cattle ranching is being reversed with the afforestation project of Ecosia.
In Mexico, they are working towards restoring the local ecosystem. In the areas and territories around Municipality of Chihuahua, ‘day zero’ or the day when water runs out is a very real threat. Ecosia has partnered with ASES to reduce desertification of the land and recharge the natural water reservoirs and aquifers around this area.
In Sudan, Ecosia is working with a women-led group to grow gum arabic trees. This will provide employment opportunities for the local Sudanese women and also will help the ecosystem by reducing deforestation and frequent threats of droughts.
In Indonesia, they are trying to solve the issue of palm oil monoculture by additional trees being planted in the area. They are also trying to protect the habitat of the Orangutan in the forested area of the country. Since 2016, Ecosia has planted 1,475,415 trees in Indonesia and has restored 1,975 hectares of land.
In Brazil, since 2012, Ecosia has planted 19,607,213 trees and has restored 4,745 hectares of land. Brazil has the ‘lungs of earth’ Amazon rainforest where due to deforestation only 20 percent of the forest land remains. Ecosia is working towards restoring the forest land and protecting the natural habitat of all the endangered species of the forest.
Other than these countries, Ecosia is also working in Canada, the UK, Cote d’ivoire, Burkina Faso and Mali. Ecosia is one of the few businesses that is negating the harmful effects of capitalist society and is contributing towards making the earth a healthier and more sustainable place for everyone of us.