Berlin-founded green search engine Ecosia, which invests 100 per cent of its profits into climate action initiatives, today launches a new climate impact experience for its 20 million users.
The search engine is expanding beyond trees to wide-ranging climate action and today launches a new experience — inviting its 20 million users to track their individual and collective impact.
Users can now log in to a new profile page and start collecting a seed for each day they use Ecosia in their ‘impact counter’, which will then show them how they are contributing to real-world initiatives, which range from tackling deforestation, to investing in renewable energy and climate tech.
I spoke to CEO Christian Kroll to find out more. He shared:
“We wanted to give our users access to the very real impact they’re having, so we’re adding new ways for them to track, share and shape that.
As governments are rolling back climate protections all over the world, we’re doing the opposite, putting the power to tackle the climate crisis right in our users’ hands and making it easier than ever to make a real difference.”
Ecosia was founded in 2009 and has since dedicated upwards of €92 million to climate action.
Beyond the tip of the iceberg
While the majority of profits have been channeled towards reforestation efforts — planting and protecting over 225 million trees around the world — the company has a growing focus on climate impact initiatives, ranging from investments in renewable energy and climate tech, to supporting regenerative agriculture, and the enforcement of climate and biodiversity protection.
Kroll shared:
“Ecosia started with a simple idea: plant trees. And to a large extent, that’s still true. But the reality is more complex.
Over the years, we’ve done much more than just tree planting—we’ve invested millions into renewable energy, helped launch World Fund (now Europe’s biggest climate tech VC), and supported various policy initiatives. We just haven’t communicated that well to users.
Most people only see the tip of the iceberg. If you’re not following us on social media or in the news, you may not realize the broader climate impact you’re contributing to by using Ecosia.
Now, we’re finally rolling out new features to close that gap.”
In 2021 Ecosia became the first investor in the World Fund — Europe’s largest Climate Venture Capital Fund. Ecosia also has extensive investments in solar initiatives, including building roof-top commercial-scale solar systems and operating a ground-mounted solar system in Germany, enabling solar home systems with energy pioneer Zolar, and developing commercial-scale solar systems in the Global South with Ecoligo.
Other investments include agroforestry projects in Germany, such as helping local biodiversity steward and juice producer Ostmost, and supporting the world’s biggest transformation to Bioland organic farming. Ecosia is also an early investor in Wildfarming in the UK.
Track your impact, one seed at a time
With the impact counter and new profile view, users can see how their seeds are having a tangible positive impact on people, ecosystems, and wildlife, giving visual proof of how much they have helped replenish the planet.
Their profile will display estimated figures for the number of seedlings planted, amount of renewable energy generated, hours of tree care, and area restored. It will also provide a clear connection to the Ecosia community, one of the largest environmental movements in the world.
According to Kroll, it also shows that using Ecosia once a month isn’t the same as using it every day.
“There’s a real difference in impact. Gamification helps reinforce that while making the experience more engaging, similar to Duolingo, but for the planet.”
We’re seeing a broader trend in browsers of hyperpersonalisation and agentic AI.
In time, Ecosia will be building out functionality so users can personalize their Ecosia experience even further and engage in their real world impact in new ways, for example through personalized tips on how to be more climate active, accessing exclusive content and planet-friendly rewards, and teaming up with others to rally behind shared goals.
Kroll admits that with AI comes big sustainability and ethical questions.
“AI can be energy-intensive. We need to be careful — not just follow the hype. That said, we can’t ignore AI completely or we’ll be left behind. So we're taking a pragmatic approach: move forward, but on our terms.
We’ve even thought about adding an element where high-energy AI queries might cost you seeds. The idea isn’t to punish, but to raise awareness and promote responsible usage.”
Not just a search engine— a global climate movement
In time, Ecosia will be building out functionality so users can personalize their Ecosia experience even further and engage in their real world impact in new ways, for example through personalized tips on how to be more climate active, accessing exclusive content and planet-friendly rewards, and teaming up with others to rally behind shared goals.
What sets Ecosia apart from its contemporaries is that its more than just a browser or search engine. Because its self-owned — 99.99 per cent of shares belong to a foundation — its not optimising for shareholder value. That gives freedom to invest in real impact.
For instance, Ecosia incubated World Fund.
Kroll shared:
“We covered their legal and setup costs, which weren’t small. At the time, I was convinced it would work. Looking back, I realize that was naïve—but it did work, and it’s now one of the biggest climate tech funds in Europe. That’s something we’re really proud of.
The same goes for our renewable energy projects and support for climate policy. These things are hard. But we do them because we can—and because they matter.”
Backing Europe's tech sovereignty—one search at a time
Ecosia's role as European-founded and owned company can’t be understated at a time when many in Europe are focused on European competitiveness and data sovereignty.
Kroll asserts:
“It’s not just about being European, it’s about having alternatives.
Right now, if a hypothetical future US president decided to cut off European access to American tech, we’d be in serious trouble. We’re far too dependent.”
That’s why Ecosia supports initiatives like the Digital SME Alliance’s “Tech Solutions Made in Europe” series.
“We want to give people the option to choose something cleaner, fairer, and more transparent. Digital diversity is a fundamental part of that.”
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