Case study
How Krystal are creating a clear vision
IT & Technology
Reforestation
Carbon credits
Krystal is a web hosting provider with a unique approach based on honesty and transparency. The company is built on the single-minded vision that it should be possible to create a business that lasts hundreds of years, and in providing a great service day to day, also benefits the planet and leaves the world a better place.
At a glance
1m+
23.1k+
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About Krystal
Location
London, UK
Company size
100 employees
Industry
Web hosting
Use case
Tree planting, carbon avoidance credits and carbon removal credits
Services used
Calculated carbon footprint, set goals to reduce emissions & funded climate action
The issue
Their desire to run a good business is exemplified in their sustainability credentials. Since 2017, they have been working with Ecotricity to run all of their hosting services on 100% renewable electricity, from sources like the sun, wind and sea. They even encourage their clients to show off their website’s green credentials with a special Krystal Green Hosting Badge.
But they have no intention of stopping there. They are always looking for new initiatives to both lower their carbon emissions and actively improve the environment – beyond simply negating their own business footprint. And they have big, audacious plans for the future…
The challenges
Krystal has been working with Ecologi since January 2021, and the collaboration is a big part of Krystal’s mission to “leave the world a better place than we found it”.
Speaking about their decision to use Ecologi, Simon Blackler, CEO and Founder of Krystal, said:
“We have an area of specialism and expertise, but we don’t have expertise in environmental impact. We have to rely on a trusted third party partner, so that we can have peace of mind to purchase and make that environmental commitment.”
One of the key ways that Krystal and Ecologi work together is through Climate Action Workforce®. Using this service, Krystal offsets the average carbon footprint of every person in their organisation. This not only includes time at work, but also approximates the emissions they’ll produce outside of work too. But that’s not the best bit, Krystal has gone further and offset all of their staff’s lifetime emissions when they join the company.
The solution
In 2017, Krystal became one of the first hosts to be powered by 100% renewable energy. In doing so, showing their dedication to reducing emissions and decarbonising their operations. Krystal has also been referring other businesses to us like a green machine, and as such are currently top of our Sparkly Tree Leaderboard with over 200 other accounts referred and 6,950 sparkly trees.
And that’s not their only gold star, they are also a founding member of the Million Tree Pledge – a group of individuals and businesses, committed to planting over one million trees each in response to the climate emergency.
That’s a goal they have already smashed, with over a million trees funded for planting and 22,236 tonnes of CO2e prevented from entering our atmosphere in just over two years of climate action. In fact, Krystal was our first member to reach one million trees funded, so we had a special trophy made for them out of recycled wood to celebrate.
In total, Krystal has funded 38 carbon avoidance projects, including preserving the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor in Guatemala and providing clean energy through hydropower in Kanungu, Uganda.
The results
As a member of the World Economic Forum’s trillion tree community, Krystal’s big audacious goal is to conserve, restore or grow one billion trees by 2030. It’s an admirable commitment that truly speaks to their bold and progressive culture. As part of this, Krystal is also funding tree planting on behalf of their clients, with every client getting their own virtual forest that they can watch grow.
Beyond their billion tree pledge, Krystal welcomed in 2023 by achieving B Corp Certification. Looking at their approach to business and overall positive attitude towards implementing sustainability in their operations, we aren’t surprised at all by their new certification.
"One of the important functions that Ecologi provides is a phenomenal leveller. It means that a business of any size can start doing good today."
Simon Blackler, CEO at Krystal
