In 2009, German student, Christian Kroll, was traveling through Nepal and South America when he had an epiphany. Surrounded by the aftermath of deforestation, he wondered, “Is there anything I could do to change this?” And he had a crazy idea: the simple act of searching the internet should help rebuild forests. Not only in Nepal, but around the world.
It sounds like the kind of idea you come up with after too many shots, but here’s the kicker: it actually worked. Back from his trip, Christian founded a new, revolutionary search engine: Ecosia.
As of today, Ecosia has planted over 212 million trees.
The Internet’s Carbon Footprint
Before we dive into Ecosia’s leafy crusade, let’s talk about the elephant in the room – or should we say, the server farm. The internet, that magical place where cat videos reign supreme and productivity goes to die, has a dark secret: it’s a carbon-emitting beast.
According to a study by the Boston Consulting Group, the internet is responsible for about 2% of global CO2 emissions. That’s roughly the same as the entire aviation industry. Yes, your quick three-hour dive into YouTube rabbit holes might be just as bad for the planet as your neighbor’s weekend getaway to the Maldives.
And search engines? They’re like the hummingbirds of the internet – small, fast, and consuming a disproportionate amount of energy for their size. Google alone uses about 15,616,000 MWh per year. That’s enough to power the Dominican Republic, or keep your phone charged for the next million years (not that your battery would last that long).
The Robin Hood of Search Engines
This is where Ecosia swings in on a vine, wearing a green cape and brandishing a virtual spade. Their business model is refreshingly simple: you search, they earn ad revenue, they use that money to plant trees. It’s like if Robin Hood decided to fight climate change instead of the Sheriff of Nottingham. And by his side: millions of Little Johns and Maid Marians.
Christian told us his vision at an event at the .GUT collab center in Tegel:
“Ecosia wants to be the default search engine for all environmentally conscious people.”
This swarm intelligence approach brings some interesting results.
Here are some mind-boggling stats:
- As of 2024, Ecosia has invested 87 mio. € into climate protection
- It has planting projects in more than 35 countries.
- Ecosia isn’t powered by 100% but 200% renewable energy. It produces enough solar energy to power all of Ecosia searches with renewables twice over.
In other words, frantically searching, “How to remove red wine stains,” after a particularly clumsy dinner party will actually help with reforestation efforts around the globe. Talk about a win-win.
Not Just Another Green-Washed Tech Company
Now, we know what you might think. “Great, another tech company slapping a green label on their product and calling it a day.” But here’s where Ecosia really leaves other companies green with envy:
- Transparent to a Fault: Ecosia publishes its financial reports and tree planting receipts. You can literally see where every cent goes. It’s like having a glass-bottom boat tour of a company’s finances.
- Powered by the Sun: Ecosia built its own solar plants to power its searches. That’s right, your late-night instant noodle creations are now solar-powered. Mother Nature approves (of the solar power, not the carbonara inspired ramen ).
- Purpose Driven: All of Ecosia’s profits go into protecting and restoring the planet. Christian signed a legally binding agreement that he cannot sell the company or receive any proceeds of the shares.
- B Corp Certified: First B Corp Certified company in Germany. This means they’re legally required to consider the impact of their decisions on workers, customers, suppliers, community, and the environment. It’s like a corporate conscience, but with actual teeth.
The Ecosystem of Change
Ecosia isn’t just planting trees; they’re planting ideas. They’re proving that you can run a successful tech company without selling your soul (or your users’ data) to the devil. They showed us that you can make that change. Here’s Christian again:
“We’re now Europe’s biggest search engine. There’s Google with ninety-five percent or more market share, but there’s really nobody else. We don’t even have one percent market share in Europe but that already makes us the biggest European player.“(Startup Guide).
And the spirit is spreading:
- DuckDuckGo: Another privacy-focused search engine that doesn’t track your data. It’s like the digital equivalent of a speakeasy – what happens in DuckDuckGo, stays in DuckDuckGo.
- Lilo: A French search engine that allows users to donate to social and environmental projects. It’s like if your mom combined her love for charity with her newfound interest in “the Google.”
- OceanHero: A search engine that removes plastic from the ocean with every search. Because apparently, we needed another reason to feel guilty about our “ocean plastic turtle” image searches.
So, What’s Next? Reforesting Mars?
While Ecosia continues to grow faster than kudzu on a Southern porch, the challenge remains enormous. Deforestation continues at an alarming rate, with an area of forest the size of 11 soccer fields lost every minute.
But here’s the thing: for the first time since the internet was invented (or was it discovered?), we have a way to make a positive environmental impact without leaving our couches. It’s slacktivism at its finest.
The next time you need to look something up, ask yourself: Do I want my search to feed the data-hungry beast of Big Tech, or do I want it to plant one or two trees? Do I want to contribute to the problem, or be part of the solution?
The power is quite literally at your fingertips. Use it wisely, because Mother Nature is watching. And let’s face it, she could use all the help she can get right now.
Remember: Every time you use Ecosia, somewhere in the world, a tree gets its leaves. And isn’t that a much better feeling than wondering if you’ve been shadowbanned on Instagram again?
At GICA, we believe in the power of innovative solutions like Ecosia to drive positive change. We are proud of impact citizens like Christian Kroll.
Christian Kroll on LinkedIn? Here!
