Offset your carbon emissions with LinktGO
If you're looking to reduce your carbon footprint and make a positive contribution to the environment, offsetting your vehicle's carbon emissions is a great first step.
The Australian National Greenhouse Accounts show that in 2020, the transport sector accounted for 16% of Australia's greenhouse gas emissions.
While electric vehicles are slowly gaining popularity in Australia, it will take some time for all drivers to make the switch to zero emission vehicles. Until then, offsetting your vehicle's carbon emissions via LinktGO can help reduce your impact.
Find out more about Transurban's sustainability initiatives.
About carbon offsetting and carbon credits
Carbon offsetting helps reduce the impact of unavoidable greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that are released into the atmosphere.
There are many different types of projects in Australia (and internationally) that reduce, remove, or capture emissions to generate offsets and carbon credits. When you purchase a volume of carbon credits equal to the amount of GHG emissions you've generated, this is known as carbon offsetting.
Visit Climate Active for more information about how carbon offsetting helps.
Calculating the GHG emissions and offset associated with your trip
The GHG emissions (and offset) associated with your trip are calculated based on the average trip taken for the relevant toll road.
For a Transurban toll road, the average trip is calculated by using:
- the average GHG emissions per kilometre of all vehicles using the relevant toll road, and
- the average trip length of the toll road.
For all non-Transurban toll roads, such as the EastLink, Toowoomba Bypass, Sydney Harbour Tunnel, and the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the full distance of the toll road is used to calculate the average trip length combined with the average GHG emissions emitted per kilometre of all Transurban toll road users.
Where your offset dollars go
When you choose to offset through Transurban, 100% of your contribution goes towards buying carbon credits from certified Australian offset projects – see below “Landcare CarbonSMART” for more information. These projects work to prevent, remove, or reduce carbon emissions while also providing environmental, economic, social and cultural benefits.
Some of these additional benefits include:
- enhanced biodiversity
- habitat protection
- creating employment
- helping people to live and work on country
- improving health and education
- providing access to clean and affordable energy
Transurban purchases carbon credits that meet the strict eligibility requirements set by the Australian government and contained in the Climate Active 'Carbon Neutral Standard for Products and Services'.
Once Transurban purchases carbon credits from a certified project, the carbon credits are then "retired”. This means the carbon offset cycle is completed and the previously purchased carbon credits cannot be traded again.
Transurban manages the customer offset program at no cost to you.
Landcare CarbonSMART
Landcare CarbonSMART Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) have been purchased and retired on behalf of LinktGo to support customer offset claims. Landcare CarbonSMART credits deliver verified carbon sequestration with confirmed ecological co-benefits including the restoration of native habitats.
Landcare Australia has trusted know-how based on three decades of environmental and conservation stewardship. Australian sourced credits have the additional benefit of generating positive local improvements that vary dependant on the generation methodology as well as removing harmful excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Sourcing credits through Landcare CarbonSMART also enables Landcare Australia to better support local community groups that protect and enhance our natural environment.
How to offset your trip
You can now opt-in to offset the GHG emissions associated with your trip when making a payment on your account using the LinktGO app. You will see the following checkbox prompt allowing you to add your carbon offset contribution:
We note that this feature is only currently available on the latest version of the LinktGO app. If you're having trouble, get in touch via the LinktGO Help Centre or email us at hello@linktgo.com.
GHG emissions carbon offset with LinktGO - Terms and conditions:
- The LinktGO carbon offset initiative is a voluntary contribution. This carbon offset is for the fuel component only and is not a Climate Active certified product or service.
- Your contribution will include a Goods and Services Tax (GST) component, which will not be allocated towards carbon offset initiatives.
- LinktGO will not charge you a separate payment card surcharge for the carbon offset portion of the payment when you make a trip payment on your account.
- Upon payment of your trip you can request an email receipt of your trip payment which will include the relevant carbon offset amount.
- If a trip has been reconciled that includes carbon offset, when a manual refund is deemed necessary and processed, then the refund will include the trip cost and the related carbon offset amount.
- If a trip has been reconciled that includes carbon offset, when a partial refund is deemed necessary and manually processed, then the partial refund will only be taken from the “trip” portion and the carbon offset amount will remain untouched.
- The method used to calculate carbon offset is an estimate only, accordingly it should not be relied upon as an accurate record of your actual trip emissions. We accept no liability if the calculation of greenhouse gas emissions related to your trip, is incorrect or inaccurately reflects the actual greenhouse gas emissions attributable to your trip.
- Your contribution will be used to acquire 'eligible offset units' as defined under the 'Climate Active Carbon Neutral Standard for Products & Services'. We may at our absolute discretion acquire 'eligible offset units' from certified greenhouse gas abatement suppliers of our choice. You have no involvement in requiring us or directing us to allocate the funds to any particular greenhouse gas abatement projects or suppliers.
- While LinktGO has taken reasonable care to ensure that the information provided on the Transurban, Linkt, LinktGO websites relating to carbon offsetting is correct, all information may be subject to change at any time without notice to you. Transurban is not liable to you or anyone else if there are errors in the information on this website or if that information is not up to date.
- Transurban, Linkt and LinktGO reserve the right to suspend or terminate this carbon offsetting arrangement in its absolute discretion and at any time, without giving notice to you. This carbon offsetting arrangement will be subject to any applicable legislative or other regulatory controls imposed by State and Federal Governments, whether existing now or at any time in the future.
- These terms and conditions are effective as at the date of publication (11 July 2023) and may be varied by Transurban, Linkt, LinktGO in our absolute discretion from time to time without giving notice to you.