There has been a rise in coverage of digital services that assist in environmental programs in sustainability news. One example today is Alipay Ant Forest, which has reported that over 700 million people in China have been using its service since its inception in 2016 and, consequently, more than 700 million trees have been planted through the effort.
Ant Forest is part of Ant Group’s Alipay app. It links selected everyday activities with a gamified virtual “green energy” system. Users can earn green energy points through activities such as taking public transportation, cycling, paying bills online instead of using paper invoices, and using digital services.
Users can use the points to grow virtual trees or support biodiversity initiatives. When a user accumulates enough points to grow a virtual tree, Ant Group, a global digital technology provider and the operator of Alipay, funds the planting of a real tree through environmental organizations and other partners.
Ant Group said that applications made through Ant Forest’s virtual green energy system have resulted in more than RMB 5.1 billion ($759 million) in investment over the past 10 years.
The company also reported that its tree-planting activities have created about 5.2 million job opportunities for local communities and generated RMB 770 million ($115 million) in income.
According to China Daily, the more than 700 million trees cover about 4,713 square kilometers across 13 provinces. More than 90% are located in the core zones of China’s Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program. The publication reported that more than 20% of Ant Forest’s 700 million users have participated in tree planting.
Ant Forest and China’s environmental policy
The development of Ant Forest comes as environmental sustainability remains part of China’s regulatory framework. On August 15, 2026, China’s Ecological and Environmental Code entered into force. The 1,242-article code covers areas including pollution control, ecological protection, and green and low-carbon development.
The code was adopted by the National People’s Congress in March and consolidates provisions covering environmental protection and ecological governance. It also provides a legal framework for green and low-carbon development.
In a similar way, the regulatory situation mentioned here has relevance for companies pursuing sustainability initiatives regarding environmental programs. In ESG sustainability, environmental sustainability issues include questions regarding resource use, emissions, ecosystem preservation, and biodiversity, while social sustainability issues include working conditions, communities, and social impact assessments. ESG and sustainability reporting systems can address either the environmental part or the social one depending on the reporting framework used for this purpose.
Ant Forest’s reported figures cover environmental activities and associated local employment and income. They do not, on their own, constitute a full ESG sustainability assessment or a sustainability report for Ant Group.
Similar digital environmental initiatives
The model of Ant Forest has served as an example for several other digital initiatives.
In 2019, the Filipino mobile wallet GCash introduced GForest which enables users to contribute to afforestation through low emissions.
In 2025, DANA and Ant International launched the Ocean Buddy initiative with Conservation International and Konservasi Indonesia. The in-app program was designed to encourage participation in marine conservation, including efforts focused on whale sharks along the southern coast of Java.
Ant Forest was launched in 2016 and has now operated for a decade. Its model connects activities carried out through a digital payments platform with funding for tree planting and biodiversity projects.
For readers asking what is sustainability in the first place, the term refers to meeting humanity’s present economic, social and financial needs without harming the ability of future generations to meet theirs.
