Salford-based broadband company TalkTalk is switching to Ecosia, the not-for-profit tech company that dedicates 100% of its profits to the planet, as its default search engine. This means that every time a TalkTalk team member searches the internet on a TalkTalk device, revenues from advertising will go towards planting trees in biodiversity hotspots around the world.
TalkTalk follows The Co-Op and other Manchester-based organisations including environmental organisation Hubbub which have switched to using Ecosia as its default search engine. With an initial 2,000 TalkTalk devices featuring the search engine, it’s thought that TalkTalk team members will contribute to the planting of over 10,000 trees in 2023, simply by going about their day-to-day work.
Ecosia is pioneering green search features to allow its growing user base to be climate active every day, with Manchester now ranking as the seventh most popular city in the UK. Weekly active users have increased by 12% between 2021 and 2022, so there are now more than 15,000 Manchester residents a week using Ecosia to access the web.
Last year, Manchester residents made enough searches to plant nearly 250,000 trees in biodiversity hotspots around the world, such as Brazil, Madagascar and Australia, areas affected by deforestation. With over one million searches taking place in the city every month, Manchester is expected to contribute to the planting of another quarter of a million trees this year.
Ecosia also plants trees in nature-deprived areas of the UK. In 2020, the company planted 250 trees at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust in partnership with NHS Forests using the profits from UK searches. The trees are dedicated to NHS staff as a living monument and gesture of thanks for their work during the Covid-19 pandemic. This is something it is looking to continue in the future.
As one of the largest tree-planting organisations in the world, Ecosia ensures that the right trees are planted in the right place. Since 2009, the company has planted over 170 million trees, including 900 different species, in partnership with trusted local community groups and NGOs. Ecosia is currently in the process of transitioning from three-year to 20-year contracts to ensure its trees are monitored and are supported to last, to future-proof the planet for coming generations.
Sophie Dembinski, Head of Ecosia UK, said: “I’m delighted that TalkTalk has become the latest organisation in the UK to switch to Ecosia as its default search engine. By helping its employees to be climate active every day with ease, TalkTalk is enabling Ecosia to invest in the planet for the long term and funding tree planting that will support and protect future generations to come. As more people become aware of the devastating impact of the climate crisis and want to do something about it, we’re seeing growth rise in cities like Manchester and we’re delighted to be providing a solution to support them in their everyday lives.”
ill Ennett, Head of Sustainability at TalkTalk, said: “As a business, we’re always looking to ensure that we act with the climate crisis in mind. Using a tool like Ecosia is a simple and effective way to promote sustainability and invest in the planet without even having to think about it.”
