Jun 27, 2025
Your Money, Your Impact: Rethinking what it means to invest for the planet
Key takeaways from EcoTree & Enerfip’s webinar on how to grow your money through forest and renewable investments, with real, traceable impact.
What if investing in nature was no longer the niche passion of a few but a collective act, simple, tangible, and even profitable?
That was the heart of the conversation in our recent webinar “Your Money, Your Impact,” featuring Thomas Norman Canguilhem, CEO of EcoTree, and Julien Hostache, Co-founder of Enerfip. Together, they offered two complementary paths to doing good with your savings: one rooted in forests and the other in renewable energy. Whether you’re a long-time green investor or just getting curious, the message was clear: meaningful climate action is well within reach.
Starting small: Sustainable investing is more accessible than you think
Many Europeans still believe that one needs to be wealthy to invest sustainably. But Thomas and Julien are here to prove that wrong.
Enerfip is an investment platform that enables individuals to support renewable energy projects such as solar, wind, and hydro projects across Europe, with investments starting at just €10. You choose the project, check the terms, and make your decision, all in about 10 minutes. And the returns? Typically between 6.5% and 10%, which shows that doing good doesn’t mean sacrificing growth.
At EcoTree, you can become a tree owner and support mixed-species forestry that benefits biodiversity and helps reestablish healthy ecosystems. Through our TreeShop, you can purchase a tree with just a few clicks, support biodiversity-rich forests, and track your tree as it matures. Over time, the value of that tree also grows, potentially doubling or tripling your initial investment, while storing carbon, sheltering wildlife, and restoring natural ecosystems.
As Thomas shared in the webinar:
“The best time to plant trees was a hundred years ago. The second-best time is now.”
And perhaps the best part? You don’t have to choose between ethical and profitable. With both platforms, you can have both.
The power of one (million)
When it comes to the climate crisis, individual action is often underestimated.
If just 1 million Europeans invested €15 per month in green projects for 12 months, the collective impact would be massive, with around 120 million m² of forest planted and over 6 kg of CO₂ saved per person. As Julien pointed out during the session:
“Every investment is a vote for the future you want to live in.”
With Enerfip, users can see exactly how their money is helping, from the amount of renewable energy generated to the CO₂ emissions prevented. It’s an empowering way to turn savings into a measurable impact.
At EcoTree, when you buy a tree, you own a real, living asset. That Oak or Chestnut becomes a long-term investment in both the planet’s future and your own. And by separating land ownership from tree ownership, we’ve made it easier than ever for individuals, not just institutions or large corporations, to contribute to reforestation.
Thomas highlighted a dynamic called “the triangle of inaction”:
“Individuals wait for businesses. Businesses wait for regulation. And governments wait for public pressure.”
But what if we started with something as simple as a tree, a solar panel, or a monthly habit? That’s how real change begins.
Trust, transparency, and tangible impact
In an era of “green” everything, how do you ensure your sustainable investment is more than just a feel-good label?
Enerfip takes this seriously; every project is listed with full transparency and oversight, regulated by the AMF (France’s financial regulator), just like EcoTree. They don’t touch your money; they simply connect you directly with vetted renewable energy projects. You stay in control from start to finish.
At EcoTree, we are the foresters: no intermediaries, no greenwashing, just honest, hands-in-the-soil forestry. From species selection to harvesting timelines, we manage it all in-house. Your tree grows in a real forest, and yes, you can visit it. Certifications like PEFC and B Corp help back this up, but for us, the gold standard is always proximity and proof.
As Thomas puts it:
“What you say has to match what you actually do. That’s how trust is built.”
It’s time to invest in the world you want
Whether it’s a wind turbine in Eastern Europe or an Oak in Brittany, your money has the power to shape the future, and platforms like Enerfip and EcoTree are here to help you do it with confidence, clarity, and purpose.
Unlike traditional ESG funds, where your money disappears into a black box, these models offer something better: direct involvement, measurable impact, and a personal connection to the projects you support.
So maybe the real question isn’t “Can I afford to invest sustainably?” It’s “Can I afford not to?”
