Faced with growing environmental and social issues, people are looking for ways to contribute to a greener future.

An easy way to contribute is by using environmentally conscious search engines that support various environmental and community initiatives.

This article examines a selection of leading green search engines and the projects they support.

Ecosia: The green search engine that plants trees

Ecosia is a search engine that plants trees with revenue from search ads.

To date, Ecosia’s community of 20 million users has helped plant trees in over 35 countries, prioritizing biodiversity hotspots and working closely with local communities.

The search engine is transparent about its finances, protects user privacy and is powered by renewable energy, providing an environmentally conscious alternative to traditional search engines.

Main Achievements:

• Planted over 500 different native tree species
• Monthly financial reports for transparency
• Solar panels generate twice as much energy as is needed for user searches

OceanHero: combating ocean pollution

OceanHero is dedicated to fighting ocean pollution and plastic waste by retrieving one plastic bottle from the ocean for every five searches performed by a user.

The search engine draws attention to the staggering amount of plastic pollution in our oceans, with 18 billion pounds of plastic entering the oceans every year.

Main Achievements:

• It works like a standard search engine, so it’s easy to use
• Highlights the far-reaching consequences of plastic pollution
• Encourages users to be part of the solution

Ekoru: Protect oceans and reduce CO2 emissions

Ekoru aims to clean and protect the oceans while reducing carbon emissions.

The search engine has saved 113,883 kg of CO2 emissions and, through user searches, is helping to rid the oceans of plastic, replanting seaweed and promoting renewable energy.

Main Achievements:

• Partners with Big Blue Ocean Cleanup to remove plastic from oceans
• Works with Operation Posidonia to reforest the oceans
• Powered by hydroelectric power to minimize carbon footprint

GiveWater: Providing clean water through internet research

GiveWater is a search engine that addresses the global water crisis by providing clean water to those in need.

With GiveWater, users contribute to the platform’s mission, with a portion of search ad revenue donated to partner organizations focused on water sanitation and accessibility.

Main Achievements:

• Address the global water crisis affecting 663 million people
• Works with reputable water companies to deliver clean water
• Allows users to make an impact through everyday searches

SearchScene: Supporting charitable causes and climate protection

SearchScene is a non-profit search engine that donates 95% of its profits to charities focused on climate change and its impacts.

SearchScene was created by Dr. Neil Williams and Dr. Ciara Muldoon co-founded and leverages Microsoft Bing search results enriched with data from other sources, respecting user privacy and encouraging hope and collective action for a better future.

Main Achievements:

• Partnerships with major charities such as WWF, UNICEF and UNHCR
• Emphasizes the importance of hope and collective action
• Respects user privacy by encrypting searches and not storing user data

Rapusia: Support for a variety of social and environmental projects

Rapusia is a search engine that collects donations for various social and environmental projects worldwide.

You can contribute to good causes like Il Pozzo Dei Desideri, Emergency NGO ONLUS, The Ocean Cleanup and more by using Rapusia for your internet research.

The platform is also committed to user privacy, ensuring that personal information is not collected, stored or shared with advertisers.

Main Achievements:

• Generates funds for a variety of projects worldwide
• Committed to user privacy and anonymity
• Supports causes such as ocean clean-up, poverty alleviation, and emergency medical care

YouCare: Turning searches into social impact

YouCare is a search engine that combines the power of web search with social impact by donating at least 80% of its advertising revenue to nonprofit partner organizations.

Launched in 2020, YouCare offers an ad-free search experience and customizable search settings.

Additionally, it prioritizes user privacy while minimizing environmental impact through green servers and eco-friendly initiatives.

Main Achievements:

• Wide range of causes supported, including education, health, environment, animal welfare and human rights
• Clean, ad-free search experience
• Provides browser extensions and mobile apps for easy use on all devices

Diploma

Eco-friendly search engines like Ecosia, OceanHero, Ekoru, giveWater, SearchScene, Rapusia and YouCare enable users to make a positive difference in the world simply by doing their daily internet searches.

Choosing an eco-friendly search engine that aligns with your values ​​can contribute to environmental protection, social causes, and a better future for our planet.

Featured image: Oralternative/Shutterstock