Treeapp: To Offset Your Carbon Footprint, This App Will Plant A Tree Every Day For Free

Greentech mobile application Treeapp aims to help people reduce their carbon footprint by planting a tree for free every day in less than a minute and connecting users to sustainable brands which then leads to the companies directly funding reforestation projects around the world.

Founded in 2019 by Jules Buker, Godefroy Harito and Leo Ng, London-based Treeapp is a purpose-driven company with its economic model similar to Ecosia, which is a mix between a non-profit and a full-profit business.

To make planting projects a success, the company works to attract investments and the app, which at the moment is self-funded by the founders, allows users to calculate, track and offset their carbon footprints by exploring eco-conscious brands.

Users can select which project they would like to support taking them to 3 screens, one featuring the firm’s brand partners and with a single tap, you can plant a tree and as a bonus, track your impact and carbon footprint.

In a press release seen by Green Queen, Buker said that back in 2019, Turkey had planted a record-breaking 11 million trees in one day. “But a few months later 90% were dead. This was a horrific set back, so I started looking for better ways to plant trees.”

Part of the London Business School Incubator, the platform enables over 80+ sustainable brands to market their products, reach their target audience, gather insights and at the same time have an impact on the environment by funding the reforestation projects, which are then carried out by partner non-profits that ensure that the trees benefit endemic species (limited to a geographical area) and local communities.

Back in 2019, Turkey had planted a record-breaking 11 million trees in one day. “But a few months later 90% were dead. This was a horrific setback, so I started looking for better ways to plant trees.

Jules Buker, co-founder and commercial director, Treeapp

Harito said: “In Summer 2018, Athens experienced destructive wildfires. For the first time, I saw the damage and destruction of an uncontrolled wildfire: hearing about it is one thing, but seeing it was a life changing experience. Over the following months, I promised myself to fight for this never to happen to anyone else.”

Collaborating with 7 tree-planting NGOs, the team at Treeapp has established a consortium of experts in tropical forestry that review the projects and meet certain criteria including ethical tree planting, transparency, and use-of-funds, before giving the green signal.

With over 30k users active, the app has planted 300k+ trees in countries like Madagascar, Peru, Kenya, Indonesia, Nepal, Brazil, and Haiti.

On the U.K. app store, Treeapp has been ranked the Hottest App & App of the day and at the moment, the app is available to download in U.K. and Ireland.

Several companies are working to launch innovative solutions that encourage more planting of trees. Oslo-based Mindtree is a meditation app that combines wellness with the planet’s good. Each time you meditate, the firm donates a part of the profits to planting trees. Treecard, a debit card company is the world’s first wooden debit card and with every purchase that users make on this card, the firm commits to donating 80% of its profits to reforestation projects.

Last year, Solar and human kinetic energy powered sound system, SolarSoundSystem had released a compilation record which brought together 8 artists from its global network and contained 6 tracks of DJ and producers, and with every copy sold, the makers pledged to plant a tree in the Amazon rainforest.

According to a recent study, consumers favour apps that help them to live more sustainably and reduce their carbon footprints on the planet with 61% saying that apps enable them to make sustainable buying choices and more than half calling technology as “crucial” to switch to a sustainable lifestyle.

Lead image courtesy of Treeapp.