You can just go plant trees on a hill in Africa, for example it won’t work. “It’s also making sure that they are working with community members so that the community is bought into the experience. “We’re doing this all over the world with lots of organizations that are aligned with our values, and one of our values is biodiversity,” Metcalf adds of its tree planting projects.
When asked about the problems linked to tree plantations he agrees monocultures do more harm than good - but Ecosia emphasizes that the projects it supports are not creating plantations but are rather planting native tree species - “with an approach that focuses on right tree, right place, to restore biodiversity hotspots,” as it puts it.
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“There are more innovations there to come,” he told us, adding: “There are probably going to be technology stories there in the future as well in terms of how to better use technology and satellite imaging and things like that.” The search engine recently appointed its first chief product officer, Michael Metcalf, who suggests technology to support and enhance its partnering process is in the works. The branding refresh flags this focus on tree biodiversity - with 12 tree icons modeled on native species displayed in the product to spotlight the location of its projects. Its search ad profits have funded the planting of some 150 million trees to date - and it touts high survival rates, noting its approach involves co-designing projects with local partners use of local tree species (its portfolio consists of 900+ different species, which includes 30+ on the endangered species list) and the monitoring of trees for a minimum of three years using satellite technology, geotagging, photographic evidence and field visits to track survival.
So Ecosia’s brand refresh looks like an attempt to not only brush up a rather dated look but also underscore that it’s very much not one of the tokenistic greenwashers. And, certainly, for reforestation projects to be credible rather than greenwashing there’s a lot more that needs to happen than just digging a few holes in the ground and sticking saplings in them.
Poorly conceived tree planting projects have also been shown doing more harm than good as they can damage existing ecosystems and even reduce biodiversity.
Tree planting is a popular measure for combating CO 2 emissions but the notion that humanity can simply plant its way out of the climate crisis has attracted a fair amount of skepticism. and the U.S - and Ecosia tells us it’s looking to capitalize on the opportunities presented by a growing audience of climate aware, and often young, users. Usage of the search engine is highest in Germany, France, the U.K. More updates from not-for-profit climate action search engine Ecosia: It’s given itself its first major branding refresh since launch back in 2009 at the same time as announcing a shift from three-year to 20-year contracts for its tree planting projects - the idea being to ensure that the trees planted with profits from its search ads are “intergenerational” and can survive for the long haul.Īlso today, the search engine said it’s grown global usage to 20 million monthly active users - up from 15 million between mid 20 - and is now serving half a billion searches each month.
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