Ant Group Shares How Digital Innovation Supports Environmental Protection at IUCN Event: The Ant Forest Story

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates--(BUSINESS WIRE)--By harnessing the power of digital platforms and engaging users in fun, interactive, and efficient ways, the Ant Forest model can inspire hundreds of millions of people to raise environmental awareness and take meaningful climate actions, said Eric Jing, Chairman of Ant Group, at the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Conservation Congress 2025 in Abu Dhabi.

The Ant Forest Model: Turning “Points” into Real-World Impact

Jing shared the story of Alipay Ant Forest, a green initiative that empowers the general public to take part in environmental protection through simple, daily low-carbon actions.

Launched in 2016 within the Alipay app, Ant Forest rewards users with virtual “green energy points” for eco-friendly actions such as cycling to work, using public transportation, or recycling. These points are then translated into tangible outcomes: Ant Group funds real-world tree planting, biodiversity conservation, and habitat restoration projects in partnership with NGOs and environmental organizations.

For example, users can redeem their points to support wildlife preservation or grow virtual trees that are later planted as real trees in reforestation areas.

As of August 2025, more than 750 million users across China have joined Ant Forest. Together, they helped plant 619 million trees. The project also created jobs for local communities who help plant and care for the forests.

An Open Platform: Expanding the Circle of Impact

Ant Forest continues to evolve as an open platform, inviting partners to use “green energy points” to encourage green actions among their customers.

One notable example is Nike’s “Recycle-A-Shoe” mini program, launched in the Alipay app in 2022. The program enables Chinese consumers to send in worn-out Nike shoes for recycling. The collected shoes are dismantled and repurposed into sustainable sports courts using Nike Grind technology. Participants also earn Ant Forest points, which they can use to support tree planting and ecological restoration. As of October 2025, Nike has recycled 430,000 pairs of shoes, helping to create 50 Nike Grind sports courts across China.

During the event, Sabrina Peng, Senior Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer of Ant Group, shared that Ant Forest is also using interactive digital experiences to inspire people to learn about biodiversity. In 2021, Ant Forest launched the Amazing Species project to raise public awareness of biodiversity conservation by allowing users to discover new rare species on their phones through a fun card-collecting experience. In 2024, Ant Forest and IUCN jointly released the Red List of Amazing Species at UNFCCC COP 29. By highlighting endangered species from the IUCN Red List on Ant Forest, the initiative raised public awareness and inspired action to protect them.

Inspiring Global Partners to Build Their Own “Ant Forest”

Ant Forest’s success has earned global recognition. In 2017, Fortune ranked Ant Financial (now Ant Group) #6 on its “Change the World” list for the initiative’s positive environmental impact. Two years later, Ant Forest received the United Nations’ highest environmental honor—the “UN Champions of the Earth” award, followed shortly by the “UN Global Climate Action Award” for its innovative use of digital technology to scale up climate action.

The model of Ant Forest has inspired similar initiatives worldwide. In 2019, the Philippines’ leading mobile wallet GCash launched GForest, enabling users to contribute to local reforestation through low-carbon lifestyle choices.

At the World Conservation Congress 2025, DANA and Ant International, together with Konservasi International, unveiled the Ocean Buddy initiative, an interactive in-app mini program to raise awareness and drive long-term public participation in marine conservation among DANA's 200 million users in Indonesia. Ocean Buddy leverages gamification incentives and lively visual designs to enhance broad-based, long-term user participation in conservation efforts, specifically the protection of whale sharks along the southern coast of Java.

“With global partners, may our small acts turn into a green future. Tech for good, tech for nature—this is our promise for the future,” said Eric Jing at the event.

About Ant Group

Ant Group is a global digital technology provider and the operator of Alipay, a leading internet services platform in China, connecting over one billion users to more than 10,000 types of consumer services from partners. Through innovative products and solutions powered by AI, blockchain and other technologies, Ant Group supports partners across industries to thrive through digital transformation in an ecosystem for inclusive and sustainable development. For more information, visit www.antgroup.com.