Book train trips and plant trees at the same time

The sustainable search engine Ecosia has introduced a new booking tool for train travel. With Ecosia Trains, users can search and book trains while planting trees. The backgrounds.

The search engine provider Ecosia recently presented a new booking tool for train travel, Ecosia Trains. Together with the travel platform Omio, the Berlin tech company wants to offer users the opportunity to find suitable train connections and at the same time make a contribution to environmental protection.

Ecosia Trains: Book a train and plant trees at the same time

When searching for train connections, Ecosia now shows suitable connections from Omio. Anyone who decides to do so will be automatically redirected to the corresponding website.

“Our users want choices about how they travel, and they want to travel sustainably,” said Michael Metcalf, Ecosia’s chief product officer. This is shown by the sheer volume of search queries on this topic.

According to Ecosia, one hundred percent of the profits from the commissions the company receives for successful bookings go directly to environmental initiatives. This includes, for example, tree planting projects in biodiversity hotspots and in areas threatened by deforestation and fires. The company also invests in regenerative agricultural projects and renewable energies.

“If a good percentage of the two million monthly searches for train travel on Ecosia convert to bookings, we can invest in our environmental initiatives to help fight climate change,” said Metcalf.

Train instead of flight: Ecosia wants to reduce emissions

With the new offer, Ecosia wants to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. According to the company, around 2.4 percent of CO2 emissions come from air traffic. Traveling by train, on the other hand, is 90 percent less carbon-intensive on average.

If the booking of train journeys over longer distances is simplified, this could help to reduce transport-related emissions. However, the market for train bookings is still fragmented. In contrast, it is much easier to book a flight knowing that you are also paying the lowest possible price for your trip.

This is another reason why Ecosia decided to work with Omio. Because when it comes to trains, the provider is one of the few platforms that offers its users a comprehensive overview of the various travel options and their prices, thereby facilitating access to booking.

Ecosia Trains available in 15 countries

Ecosia Trains is available now in 15 countries including the UK, France, Germany, North America and Ukraine. Travelers can also choose between 21 different languages ​​and 26 currencies when booking. In addition to Deutsche Bahn, the displayed train providers also include Amtrak in the USA and Eurostar for connections across the English Channel.

Ecosia Trains is the second sustainable travel offering. Because in 2019, the company already presented the booking platform Ecosia Travel for flights and initially also hotels. According to its website, the search engine provider has already planted almost 180 million trees worldwide.

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