Why Earth deserves to be part of your wishlist

It’s that time of the year again when we look back at the past year and remember all the forgotten resolutions, from the pile of books you still have to read to that hobby you still want to pick up. We aren’t the only ones whose year didn’t go quite to plan, though. Earth also had some rough seasons. But just because it wasn’t the easiest year doesn’t mean she didn’t work overtime to take 8 billion of us for another spin around the sun. Let’s put it this way: in 2026, Earth wasn’t just beautiful, she was smoking hot. It wasn’t all doom and gloom, though. Let’s not forget all the good news we got this year! And this festive season, you can give her something back with a gift that keeps growing.

Let’s rewind and review Earth’s 2026

This year, many communities dug thousands of Earth Smiles, captured rainwater, and brought dry, degraded soil back to life. So far, we’ve regreened a total of 525.000 hectares of land and brought back over 32 million trees. Results that prove that Earth bounces back when given a chance. She hasn’t given up on us, so we definitely shouldn’t give up on her. After all, we believe Mars can wait. 

It has been a tough year for our bigger home however, with severe droughts and wildfires, biodiversity loss, and changing weather patterns around the world.  But Mother Nature has also seen tremendous support from people willing to give her a little push: 

• The High Seas Treaty took effect: on 17 January 2026, the UN High Seas Treaty officially entered into force. It is the first global framework to protect the two thirds of the world’s oceans that lie beyond national borders.
• Grasslands and soil got the spotlight: as the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists, 2026 put a much-needed spotlight on restoring drylands, pastures and healthy soil, the foundation of a cool and healthy ecosystem.
• Clean energy reached historic tipping points: in April 2026, wind and solar generated more electricity worldwide than gas for the first time, showing that the shift towards clean energy is moving faster than ever.

As you can see, we’re not ones to dwell on the bad news, and there’s still plenty of time this year to make an impact! 

Putting Earth on your holiday  wishlist

The holiday season is rolling in, and our minds turn to gift lists, cosy gatherings and what we want for the year ahead. Browsing for new clothes, gadgets or maybe some fresh furniture for the house? We’d like to invite you to pause for a second. Upgrading your living room is great, but this year, why not put Earth on your holiday wishlist? Including her doesn’t mean giving up on gift giving. It just means getting a bit greener with it. Instead of asking for more, more, more, give a sustainable gift that keeps growing.

A green gift that keeps growing

One way to do that is by supporting our regreening projects. You’ll be the reason an Earth Smile is dug somewhere, a tree is brought back or a grass seed bank is set up. With €25, for example, you can help regreen 370 m² of land. Trees and plants are the AC of our planet, so every bit of green you help bring back helps cool things down for all of us! Let’s make gift giving a little greener this year.

Give Earth a gift that grows

There’s still plenty of time to make a change, and next year let’s put Earth at the top of our resolutions!

Looking for a gift for your colleagues or clients as well? Discover how your business can give a sustainable corporate gift this festive season.

Frequently asked questions

What is a sustainable gift?
A sustainable gift is a present that does something good for the planet instead of ending up in a drawer. Supporting regreening is one example: your gift helps bring degraded land back to life.

How can I make my gift giving greener this festive season?
Choose gifts with lasting value, ask for experiences or useful items instead of more stuff, and put a gift for the planet on your wishlist. With Justdiggit, you can support regreening projects in Africa that bring back trees, grasses and rainwater.

What does my donation do?
With €25, you can help regreen 370 m² of land, for example by digging Earth Smiles that capture rainwater so vegetation can grow back.