Mozilla partners with environmentally friendly search engine Ecosia

Greener Pastures: Ecosia, a Berlin-based alternative search engine, is well-known for its strong focus on environmental sustainability. The German company allocates a portion of its advertising revenue to global tree-planting initiatives. Soon, Ecosia will also contribute to Mozilla's revenue stream, providing the browser developer with a much-needed financial boost.

Mozilla recently announced a new partnership with Ecosia. While the official announcement highlighted Ecosia's commitment to sustainability and social impact, it did not disclose specific details about the partnership.

Firefox users can select their default search engine directly from the URL bar, and Ecosia will now appear as an additional option. In Germany, Ecosia has been available as a search engine choice since Firefox version 59.0. With the recent release of Firefox 133.0.3, Ecosia has officially joined the browser's list of supported search engines worldwide.

Mozilla said the partnership aligns with their shared goal of promoting a more open, inclusive, and sustainable web. They also underscored the importance of users making informed decisions about the tech products and services they support. Together, Mozilla and Ecosia are committed to creating a better internet – and a better world – for everyone.

Ecosia has planted over 215 million trees in biodiversity hotspots around the globe, Mozilla stated. The company aims to make a tangible impact on climate change, deforestation, and other environmental challenges, even though it remains a niche search engine. In 2024, Ecosia accounted for just 0.3 percent of web searches in Europe and a mere 0.09 percent globally.

Ecosia doesn't operate its own web crawler, meaning its search results rely on external providers. Historically, it has used a combination of results from Yahoo!, Bing, and Wikipedia. As of September 2023, Ecosia began offering results from both Bing and Google, with users able to select their preferred engine in the service's settings.

While specifics haven't been disclosed, it's likely that Ecosia will pay Mozilla to be included in Firefox's list of search engine options. Mozilla currently generates much of its revenue from Google, which pays to remain the default search engine on Firefox.

However, the US Department of Justice's ongoing antitrust case against Google could disrupt this arrangement. If Google's dominance in search is curtailed, Firefox may face financial repercussions, making additional revenue streams like Ecosia's partnership increasingly important.