Read the EcoTree 2021 annual report

About our annual report

Every year, we put together our annual report to reflect on what we’ve achieved and think about where we’re heading. It’s also a chance for us to share our success with all EcoTree customers, partners and employees. 
This year’s annual report is a little different to those we’ve published before. That’s because we created it to meet the International Integrated Reporting Council’s 2013 framework. 
To quote the report itself, this approach allows us to:
“...show how EcoTree’s strategic vision and organisational models help us generate value based on financial, environmental, social and other criteria over the short, medium, and long term.”
So that’s the thinking. Time to share some of the highlights.  

Year-on-year financial growth

The headline news is that once again, more people and businesses are buying trees and supporting our biodiversity conservation projects. That continued interest in the EcoTree approach to sustainable forestry has resulted in 80% financial growth compared to the previous year. Opening up the magic of the forest to more and more people is at the core of what we do. We’re especially pleased to share that more and more partner companies are joining our movement. Working with businesses has been a key focus for us so it’s great to see those relationships flourish. 

B Corp certification

2021 also saw EcoTree awarded B Corp certification, a superb achievement and something the team aimed for right from the beginning. Becoming a B Corp means going through a rigorous process that only rewards companies that have a direct positive impact on the environment, society, and their employees.
Not only did we get certified, EcoTree earned the highest level of recognition with a score of 89.4 points. Then later in the year, we were also named a Best for the World company and in the top 5% of highest-performing companies globally four our work on the environment. 

International expansion

It was an incredible year for our international team, which is now fully established and growing all the time. And it’s more than our team that’s grown, as 2021 saw us acquire our first two areas of land outside of France. Since then, we have begun planting trees in our new Danish forests. 
EcoTree is now a truly global company. Our international office in Copenhagen is thriving and we work with partners in countries across Europe, including Denmark, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. 
Of course, as we grow globally, we have needed to develop our team’s expertise too. The international team now includes specialists in forestry and biodiversity, with more and more colleagues qualified in forest management, carbon and biochar, as well as scientific research and development.

Our offer to businesses

As mentioned above, we invested a lot of energy in our work with companies, which included creating a new business division. That means we now have specific teams who work exclusively with partner companies, which helps us share and develop the EcoTree model at scale. 
Part of that work includes a new carbon offer and a range of vital biodiversity conservation projects that companies can support. We can also design bespoke packages that help businesses meet their specific CSR and sustainability targets. 
All of this means we now work with many more partners around the world, including the likes of H&M, Danival, and Linevia. If we are to achieve our shared goal of tackling climate change, we’re going to need more companies to go even further in their support of sustainable forestry.  

Scientific expertise

Our expert foresters have been at the forefront of EcoTree’s growth from day one. They are out there in the field applying their knowledge to real-world sustainable forestry and biodiversity projects. But we recognise that to build on that expertise, we needed to develop our team further. 
That’s why 2021 saw us strengthen our in-house capability and offer by recruiting highly qualified experts and building a world-class scientific team. Our innovation department is currently researching “how we can create more nature-based solutions that form part of corporate strategies and everyday life”.

Online improvements

Another key area of work for us in 2021 was the EcoTree website, where we were able to launch new features and improve the user experience. We made major updates to the process of giving trees as a gift, which have made it much easier for people to send unique, sustainable presents. 
Our teams have also continued to develop EcoTree’s online presence and build our accounts across various social media platforms, including LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram. We’re now working on further updates to our site for businesses too, with the changes set to launch later this summer. 

Customer satisfaction

Perhaps the measure we’ve most pleased about over the last year is how happy our tree owners and partner companies have been. Customer satisfaction has been fantastic, something which is backed up by an excellent 4.7 Google rating. 
That great feedback has come alongside an increased awareness of EcoTree more generally, with 2021 seeing us attract a wide range of media coverage. Notable mentions include articles and interviews in Le Figaro, Europe 1, France Inter and BFM. 

Ready to join our mission?

If you are new to EcoTree and would like to find out more about what we do, start by reading about our unique model and approach to sustainable forestry. Then when you are ready to become a tree owner yourself, head to the EcoTree treeShop and choose your favourite species. 
Prefer to support biodiversity? No problem – you can support a range of biodiversity conservation projects with one-off donations.
Need to meet your company’s CSR or sustainability targets? We have an entire EcoTree website for businesses where you can find out more.