.ECO Gets Support of WWF, Conservation International, United Nations Global Compact and More at Launch

The .eco new gTLD launched its General Availability on 25 April with the support of a number of environmental organisations such as WWF, Conservation International, United Nations Global Compact, Natural Resources Defense Council, among others.

The .eco domain comes to market following a nine-year collaborative effort among more than 50 environmental non-profits, all with a shared vision to bring a trusted symbol of environmental responsibility to the internet.

By registering a .eco web address, brands send a message to consumers about their environmental responsibility and transparency. To activate a .eco domain, users must pledge to support positive change for the planet and list their commitments to environmental action on a public-facing .eco profile. Leading global brands like Tesla, Google and LG have bought .eco domain names, taken the .eco pledge and set up .eco profiles.

“Consumers will recognise .eco as the new global identity for brands and organisations committed to positive environmental change,” said Trevor Bowden, co-founder of .eco and Big Room Inc., a certified B Corporation located in Vancouver, BC. “Early .eco domain holders have already inspired a positive ripple effect, encouraging other brands to register and promoting transparency and a new level of accountability in how companies broadcast their social, environmental and CSR mandates.”

“We are thrilled to be part of .eco,” said Sid Das, Digital Director at WWF International, one of the organisations that endorsed Bowden and Malthouse’s bid for .eco. “It’s great to see this domain will be maintained by a community that is passionate about the environment.”

Early adopters already using .eco domain names ahead of the global launch include:

• Koala, a natural cleaning products company, rebranded to Koala.eco.
• Sea Semester, an off-campus environmental studies program, created a landing page for their environmental study initiative at StudyAbroad.eco.
• Greenpeace Argentina is using Oceanos.eco as a short, memorable URL to drive attention to a petition from social media and advertising.
• Vancity, Canada’s largest credit union, is using Vancity.eco as a shortcut to their sustainability section of their website.
• Producers of River Blue, a documentary about the fashion industry’s impact on the environment, are using RiverBlueTheMovie.eco as their home online.

.eco domain names come at a premium with registration ranging from US $65-$100 annually depending on the registrar.