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

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct 10, 2025--

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.

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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.

In 2025, DANA and Ant International, together with Konservasi International, unveiled the Ocean Buddy initiative to raise awareness and drive long-term public participation in marine conservation in Indonesia.

From left to right: Sabrina Peng, Senior Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer of Ant Group; Vince Iswara, CEO and Co-Founder of DANA Indonesia; Dr. Sylvia Earle, Founder and Chair of Mission Blue; and Eric Jing, Chairman of Ant Group, at the launch of Ocean Buddy during the IUCN World Conservation Congress 2025 in Abu Dhabi.

Inspired by Ant Forest, Philippines’ leading mobile wallet GCash launched its own GForest in 2019.

The No. 453 Ant Forest in Inner Mongolia, China, shows a clear contrast before restoration in 2021 (top) and after restoration in 2024 (bottom).

Ant Forest rewards users with virtual “green energy points” for eco-friendly actions.

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) — Kyle Busch died after severe pneumonia progressed into sepsis, resulting in rapid and overwhelming associated complications, according to a statement released by his family.

Dakota Hunter, vice president of Kyle Busch Companies, said in a news release the family received the medical evaluation on Saturday.

Busch, a two-time NASCAR champion, died at 41 on Thursday, a day after passing out in a Chevrolet simulator.

Sepsis is considered a life-threatening medical emergency that occurs when the body has an extreme, overactive response to an infection, causing the immune system to damage its own tissues and organs, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Typically the immune system releases chemicals to fight off pathogens like bacteria, viruses or fungi, but with sepsis the response goes into overdrive. The results can cause widespread inflammation, form microscopic blood clots and make blood vessels leak.

Busch was thought to have had a sinus cold while racing at Watkins Glen on May 10 and radioed in to his team saying that he needed a “shot” from a doctor after the race.

However, he bounced back to win the Trucks Series race at Dover last weekend, and then he finished 17th in the All-Star race on Sunday.

Busch, who was preparing to race Sunday at the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, was testing in the Chevrolet racing simulator in Concord on Wednesday when he became unresponsive and was transported to a hospital in Charlotte, several people familiar with the situation told The Associated Press.

During the emergency call placed late that afternoon, an unidentified caller calmly told the dispatch: “I’ve got an individual that’s (got) shortness of breath, very hot, thinks he’s going to pass out, and is producing a little bit of blood, coughing up some blood.”

The caller said Busch was lying on the bathroom floor inside the complex and told dispatch “he is awake,” according to audio provided by the Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office. The man then gave directions on where emergency responders should go and asked that they turn off any sirens upon arrival.

NASCAR driver Brad Keselowski said he knew Busch wasn’t feeling well recently.

“Yes, but I won’t go into any specifics," Keselowski said. “But then when he ran the Truck race last week, those (thoughts) were honestly kind of erased in my mind.”

Keselowski said running multiple races on the same weekend can be difficult on a driver's health — but most don't want to miss a race for fear of being replaced.

“There’s no shortage of drivers that would love to take my seat or anybody else’s seat if we weren’t feeling well, and I think every driver feels that pressure,” Keselowski said. “All athletes do. It’s not unique to NASCAR in that sense. We’re all thinking to ourselves, ‘I don’t wanna be replaced.’ ... So you try to power through it the best you can."

Busch won 234 races across NASCAR’s top three series over his two-decade career, more than any driver in history.

All 39 drivers in the field for Sunday’s race will race with a black No. 8 decal on their car to honor Busch.

AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

An in memoriam photo of former driver Kyle Busch is displayed on the video board of the backstretch at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Friday, May 22, 2026, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley)

FILE - Kyle Busch waits for the start of a NASCAR Xfinity Series auto race Saturday, June 19, 2021, in Lebanon, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File)