We are cutting down trees for timber for immediate financial benefit. However, we should all be aware that as we’re trying to monetize natural resources, we’re also selling off our future as well as the next generations’. According to data provided by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), we lose an average of 18 million acres of forest each year due to either natural disasters or human impacts, and by 2050, it’s estimated that an area of forest of over 800 million acres will disappear. Deforestation and forest loss are no longer a distant prospect, but rather a problem that needs to be solved as soon as possible, or else humanity will soon face the destruction of the Earth. Getting shaped as an eco-friendly saving tool for online shoppers, Tenere is witnessing its very first milestones in sustainable shopping and moving toward reforestation.
To understand more about Tenere’s operation as well as the benefits this project is bringing to the environment, we sat down with the leader of Tenere for more insights.
What is Tenere? What inspired you to create this project?
At its core, Tenere is an eco-friendly coupon site that aims to offset climate change by facilitating the reforestation process in critical areas worldwide with a part of our revenue. Simply put, we donate a part of our commission to tree-planting projects worldwide.
As to why I started Tenere, if you have ever heard of the tree of Tenere, it is the most isolated tree on Earth. “What would happen if all the trees on Earth were cut down?” – I questioned. Humans would be so isolated from the source of life, and the truth is we are all witnessing its happening due to climate change. That’s when I decided to actually do something that helps. And this climate change fight is not an easy one, therefore, we created Tenere so everyone can give a hand. The more the merrier, am I right?
So Tenere is a web tool to save money and the environment. Could you explain how it works and how its profits can benefit the world?
You purchase with Tenere, you save money with coupons on Tenere, and we plant trees around the world with the commission on your purchase.
Technically, Tenere operates on affiliate links. Our partners pay us a commission once your order is completed. Depending on the commission rates, we then donate 80% of them to planting projects. The more orders we have, the more trees will take root.
You mentioned tree-planting projects. How does it actually work?
Our planting goal is not limited to any specific nations or regions. Yet, it’s outside of our capability at the moment to do so on our own. Therefore, we connect with tree-planting projects worldwide, such as Treesisters, Onetreeplanted, and 8 Billion Trees, who can do the work better. We donate trees and money to these projects and their mission is to reforest and support the locals. Tenere expects to reach out to every active project so Tenere trees can be everywhere.
Do sustainable brands benefit from your project?
Yes, sustainable brands are actually our priority. A sustainable store on a sustainable platform, what could be a better collaboration? Our users prefer them. On our blogs and social media, we will introduce more of these brands. Through our platform, these brands will be more recognized and receive more support. However, not only sustainable brands can benefit from our project. We want to work with all kinds of stores so that more and more people will have a chance to offset climate change’s environmental impact.
Tenere is a community project. How are you planning to get people’s support and trust in your project?
We understand that it’s not always simple when you do social projects. Every step we take will be updated. Every tree we donate will be reported monthly. Tenere is committed to transparency and sincerity. That’s how we hope to win people’s trust. And Tenere is where retailers and customers join hands to save our natural lungs. I think everyone will be on our side for this.
As Tenere is planting its very first trees, what are the plans for the future?
Our first 1,959 trees have been sent to South India, Kenya, Madagascar, and Brazil. This is just the very first milestone. We want to celebrate our ten-thousandth tree, our one-millionth tree, and even more. At the moment, we are optimizing our system so that users can have the best possible experience when shopping with Tenere. The next step is to work with more projects, not only to plant new trees but also to restore the damaged ones. Having our own sustainable store is also our dream.
Any challenges that gave you the thought of giving up on Tenere?
I don’t think there was a moment that I wanted to give up on Tenere – it’s our baby! But there were definitely challenges in our first year.
We officially kicked off in 2020, during which the COVID pandemic was rampaging. We went through our first year with just enough to keep the project running. There were reviews that said we were nothing but scammers. It’s understandable as we had nothing to prove our credibility. That has forced us to work even harder. And here we are now, over a year later, with our first trees planted.
Why is transparency such an important factor for projects like Tenere?
As I said, when it’s a project for the community and grows by the community, you need transparency.
Our users should have the right to know if their purchases are truly helping the environment. That is the only way to encourage them to continue shopping with Tenere. That is why transparency is important. For this purpose, we publish monthly financial reports. The reports include how much we earn per month and the number of trees planted accordingly, with a certificate from our partners as proof.
What are the people behind Tenere like? What quality does Tenere look for in a teammate?
Most of us are still in our 20s, so I think we’re still a young group (laughs). Despite a lot of differences in lifestyle, we all share the same interests and concerns about nature and the environment. Fun fact: some of us are raging shopaholics.
To become our teammates, you just need to be young and hungry. And it would be our honor to have onboard sustainable businesses that have a strong sense of modern business ethics and tree-planting projects that actually do good for nature.
Anything we didn’t get to ask you that you would want to share?
One feature I would love to mention is that you can shop with Tenere with your friends and family as a team and see how many trees your team can plant together. It’s always better to run with a group, isn’t it? And we highly appreciate our users who have believed in us and motivated us since day one.
Such a great feature! It is beyond doubt that Tenere is the project for the community and the team has put heart and soul into it. Huge thanks to the Tenere team for what you are doing for the consumers and more importantly the environment. Let’s have faith that Tenere will grow stronger and no tree will be left behind.
