A decade ago, four friends made a bold decision – they left their secure careers to pursue a shared vision: democratising forest management and developing carbon projects for businesses and individuals.
What began as a simple idea to finance tree planting by selling tree ownership and returning profits from future harvests to the owners, has become a pioneering force in nature based solutions. EcoTree develops projects that protect, sustainably manage and restore European forest ecosystems.
The company has seen significant growth from a small office in Brest, north western France, over the past 10 years. Today, EcoTree operates in France, Denmark, the Netherlands, the UK, and Germany, with over 300 projects. Starting with just the four friends, it now has 60 employees, collaborates with 2000 corporate partners, and serves 86,000 individual customers. The company has also opened its capital to investment funds focused on environmental and climate issues, including Épopée Gestion, Accurafy, Famae Impact, Financière Fonds Privés, and Société Générale.
‘Ten years ago, environmental protection and conservation were often met with scepticism by businesses and citizens who felt unrepresented by the political discourse of environmental activists. We wanted to offer a different solution by demonstrating that nature has value as a profitable asset and that by protecting it, businesses also secure their own futures,’ explained Erwan Le Méné, founder and chairman of EcoTree.
Over the next five years, EcoTree aims to triple its sales and expand its nature based solutions in the European market. The company strives to become the leading provider of high quality, local, traceable, and sustainable carbon credits, proudly promoting biodiversity and creating social impact.
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