Ecosia, a search engine that uses some of its search ad revenue to support tree planting programmes, has expanded its reach online with the release of a new browser that works across several platforms.
There aren’t many changes between Google’s Chrome browser and the new browser that is available for Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android. This is because the new browser is based on Chromium, an open-source browser project.
However, the German firm views it as a positive thing, as customers are more likely to make the change if they have a consistent experience. You may personalise Ecosia’s landing page to your liking by removing areas like top sites or the climate effect widget.
Long-Term Viability
According to Eltrys interview with Ecosia CPO Michael Metcalf, the company increased its sustainability commitment by expanding into browsers. 
“Our primary objective in developing this browser is to connect with our users on their level and help them explore more sustainable options,” Metcalf said. “Although search is currently our primary use case, we are looking to expand into other areas of the browsing experience.”
Under the sponsored links area of this new browser, Ecosia is also launching an affiliate shopping program, which means that users will see connections to shopping sites like Decathlon, Amazon, and eBay. The business has pledged to reinvest 100% of its affiliate earnings towards tree planting and other environmentally friendly initiatives. Through this kind of investment, Ecosia has pledged to generate 25 Wh of sustainable energy per user per day.
Metcalf said that while the firm advocates for reduced consumption, it is very aware that customers prefer to purchase online. The affiliate program may help them do good deeds. The affiliate shopping interface, the company’s AI chatbot, and browser personalisation are all things the business plans to work on in the future.
The firm is focusing on its current 20 million search engine users and will also expand marketing to customers who already show an affinity for the “green” cause. This is because it knows it’s harder to attract people to switch browsers. In early beta testing, the firm was pleased with the retention rate, but it refused to release statistics on how the new browser affected Ecosia search traffic.
The search engine at Ecosia underwent some major overhauls last year. The corporation began testing Google Search in many areas, including Brazil, Canada, and the Philippines, after years of relying only on Bing for search. For the business, the ad tech firm System1 syndicates results from Info.com, Microsoft Bing, and Startpage.
Furthermore, earlier this year, Ecosia planted over 200 million trees in more than 95,000 locations worldwide.
