Sustainable search engine provider Ecosia launches its own browser
The Ecosia search engine advertises that users plant trees with their search queries. Now the company is launching its own browser.
Ecosia GmbH now also has its own browser in its portfolio.
(Bild: Screenshot ecosia/heise online/are)
The search engine provider Ecosia GmbH now also has a sustainable browser in its portfolio. The social business company from Berlin is known for its sustainable search engine. Ecosia advertises that every search query enables tree planting campaigns and ensures a more sustainable environment. The browser is now set to boost this project even further.
Browser based on open-source projects
"Climate protection should be easily accessible for everyone," the company emphasizes on its blog. The browser should simplify the daily surfing experience and at the same time contribute to greater sustainability. The company invests the profits it makes from advertisements in campaigns to protect and plant trees. It has also built solar plants throughout Germany that have twice the output of a search query.
The browser itself is made possible by the open-source project Chromium, which is behind Google Chrome, and other open-source software. The browser and search engine work with search results from Microsoft's Bing search engine or – depending on the user's consent – with Google results. The browser also has several service functions related to a more sustainable environment, explains Ecosia on its blog. "In addition to generating clean energy, our browser is also equipped with our green search engine and its features, such as the green leaf icon, climate pledge rating and AI chat." The company has partner stores through which more sustainable online shopping is possible – a further contribution to environmental protection.
Ad blocker for less energy consumption
Ecosia comes with an ad blocker in the settings. "We have optimized the browser for speed and load pages up to three times faster than most common alternatives thanks to our integrated ad blocker," the company advertises. Less advertising also means less data and energy consumption. This protects the environment and users' privacy at the same time.
Christian Kroll founded the Ecosia search engine in 2009 and since then, the project has developed into a company that claims to have already planted more than 200 million trees worldwide. "We dedicate 100% of our profits to the planet and create simple ways for people to be climate-active every day," writes Ecosia.
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