Planting change one search at a time
Ecosia, the search engine that plants trees, has 15+ million users and represents one of the largest movements tackling Climate Change in the world.
Here at Action Net Zero, our purpose is to promote easy, affordable action towards a net zero future and this has to be one of our favourites; switching to Ecosia takes minutes, it is free and instantly has a big impact.
Making searches on Ecosia are powered by 200% renewable energy; they plant trees that fight climate change by removing CO2 from the atmosphere and they accelerate the energy transition away from fossil fuels by adding solar energy to the electricity grid. And that's whilst taking on a global giant in the process.
Christian Kroll, the founder, launched Ecosia in 2009, with the purpose of donating over 80% of the search engine's advertising profits to reforestation projects. This year they have planted a staggering 100 million trees where they are needed most, across 31 tree planting projects, in 21 countries.
The organisation has been on an inspiring journey, here are some of their milestones:
In 2014, they became Germany's first B Corp and planted 10 million trees.
In 2017, they built a solar plant meaning the organisation runs on 100% renewable energy.
In 2019, with rising concern about the environment across the world, including the tragedy of the Brazil Amazon fires, they were set to grow by 100%.
In 2020 they became climate positive, producing twice as much solar power as they need to power all Ecosia searches.
Ecosia in Bristol
#GrowYourLove; Supporting the NHS by planting trees at hospitals.
Around 1.6 million young people in the UK are using Ecosia's award winning green search engine for their daily activities and Bristol plays its part, we have the second largest number of people using the green search engine in the UK, second only to London, Bristolians have planted over 500,000 trees via Ecosia to date!
Ecosia is unique to other search engines. Its mission to support people and planet is at the centre of everything it does which means that when Covid hit the UK, it chose to respond and set up a new partnership to plant trees to support the long term mental health and wellbeing of NHS key workers at NHS sites across the country. The over 2000 trees financed through #GrowYourLove for the NHS by Ecosia will provide clean air to staff and patients and improve access to nature in what is Ecosia’s first tree planting campaign in the UK, our very own Southmead Hospital is one of the sites that will benefit from having trees planted in early 2021.
"We’re aware of the huge strain on NHS hospitals and the daily pressures frontline healthcare workers are facing to keep us all safe so we wanted to show Ecosia’s support and solidarity by creating green spaces on hospital grounds which will have long-term positive impacts on mental health and wellbeing of key workers and patients alike.” explains Ecosia’s UK Country Manager, Sophie Dembinski.
The pandemic has also shown the environmental impact that people can have when they collectively change their lifestyles, from fewer cars in urban areas leading to a resurgence in birds, to the decrease in air travel for pollution levels, it's one of the reasons people are switching to Ecosia.
Tree growing across the UK in 2021
In addition to Southmead Hospital, Bristol, trees will be planted at the following locations: Nottinghamshire Healthcare, Mount Vernon Hospital, Colham Green, Hillingdon, Cornwall Partnership Trust, Newcastle University Hospital Trust, Hwyel Dda Health Board, Wales, Manchester University Hospital Trust, Meanwood Hhospital, Leeds Yorkshire Ambulance Trust, and Sussex Community Trust.
Ecosia on Campus
Giving students a tool that can make a real difference, whilst empowering them to take collective action.
Students at 46 universities in the UK are campaigning to make Ecosia their default search engine on campus. 6 UK universities have already made the switch including the University of Glasgow, Sussex and Leeds.
Sussex switched in 2018 and so far has helped to plant 17,300 trees in parts of the world where they are needed the most.
If the UK’s student population of 2.28 million across 169 higher education providers were to switch to Ecosia and perform as well as Sussex, thousands more trees could be planted in the UK and around the world through student searches.
Join in by switching or campaigning to help reduce Bristol's digital carbon footprint.
