Introducing .ECO, a domain designed for profit and planet
Finding the perfect domain can take time. But organisations, businesses, and individuals committed to environmental stewardship shouldn't overlook .ECO, a new extension endorsed by 50+ leading environmental groups. Here, a design agency in southwest England tells how they won the domain lottery with leap.eco.
Committed to protecting the planet and its resources
Leap is an award-winning design studio in Cornwall, in the southwest of England. Their offices are a stone’s throw away from the English Channel, and that connection with the natural world has informed the kind of work they do.
“I have a definite passion for connecting clients and the environment,” explains Matt Hocking, Founder and Creative Director at Leap. “Whether that’s helping them to print more environmentally or ensuring that the data centres they use are carbon neutral, we tend to act as catalysts for helping clients become greener.”
Not only does Leap focus their work on progressive businesses and environmental organisations, but they also practice what they preach. “Our studio is completely carbon neutral,” says Hocking. “We use 100% renewable energy and all our data centres are carbon neutral. What we can’t minimise, we then offset—currently that’s just under 10 tonnes of CO2 per year.”
“Like winning the domain lottery”
When Hocking set out to launch his own agency in 2004, it was a leap of faith—hence the name of his new company. “A customer once asked if the letters stood for ‘life, environment, art and passion.’ I didn’t plan that, but that represents everything that’s important to us as an agency.”
Hocking has always struggled with landing on the right domain for Leap. They had experimented with several over the 13-year life of the company. Leap.com was unavailable. As more than half their work was outside of the UK, it didn’t make sense for them to use a .UK domain name either.
“I read about the launch of .ECO and it immediately felt like the right fit for us,” Hocking explains. “When I told the team about it, they unanimously agreed. It was like winning the domain lottery. It’s a relief to have found the most fitting domain for us—one that helps unify and articulate our studio’s work.”
.ECO, a trusted symbol of environmental commitment
.ECO, a new top-level domain available through EuroDNS, is available to registrants who meet strict eligibility criteria, ensuring the integrity of the .ECO domain extension. It is specifically intended for:
- Not-for-profit organisations that work for the good of the planet.
- Businesses committed to providing products and services that encourage positive environmental change.
- Government bodies that support sustainability.
- People who participate in and support environmental change through membership, financial support or donating their time, as well as environmental professionals who contribute to positive environmental change through their work.
- Farms and other producers of agricultural products that achieve EU organic production and labelling standards.
Maintaining the integrity of .ECO
With the backing by numerous environmental and intergovernmental organisations of note including World Wildlife Foundation, Greenpeace International, and Global Environmental Institute, the .ECO registry requires all registrants to meet two minimum requirements before activating their domain name:
1. Take a simple pledge to show their commitment to the purpose and principles of .ECO.
2. Affirm their eligibility by sharing their eco actions and commitments.
Registrants will be required to set up a special .ECO profile with the registry – a simple process – to demonstrate that they meet these two requirements.
In doing so, they are helping the registry to prevent the potential risk of registrants adopting .ECO for the purposes of "green-washing” their business or organisation.
Take the leap! Register .ECO at EuroDNS!
As Leap's story demonstrates, finding a domain that is (1) memorable, (2) conveys a clear message about a brand's values, and (3) maximises exposure can be like finding a needle in a haystack. But for the right business or organisation, .ECO is sure to provide all of these benefits.
And when you register your .ECO domain name with EuroDNS, you will receive a host of other free benefits:
Of course, if you have any further questions about .ECO or require assistance registering your .ECO domain name, you can always get in touch. We’ll be happy to assist!
