It is difficult to provide an exact estimate of a pet’s annual carbon footprint in Australia as it depends on factors such as the animal’s breed, diet, living situation, and activity level. For our estimate, we referenced a 2019 peer-reviewed study from the journal BioScience (Martens, 2019).
The study examined the environmental impact of companion dogs and cats by quantifying their dietary ‘ecological paw print’ and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions according to primary data they collected in China, the Netherlands, and Japan. Your furry friend may be different from this estimate.
Owning a pet can have many benefits for a person’s well-being; providing emotional support, reducing stress, and improving mood. Pets can also encourage physical activity, provide a sense of companionship, and help reduce feelings of loneliness and depression. To reduce the emissions of owning a pet, you can choose a sustainable diet, use eco-friendly waste bags, adopt a rescue animal, use non-toxic grooming products, and recycle pet toys and accessories.
Study we used for our calculations: Martens, P. S. (2019, June). The Ecological Paw Print of Companion Dogs and Cats. BioScience, 69(6), 467–474.
A 50 litre tank of petrol generates approximately 145kg carbon emissions.
Our calculations for a 50L tank of petrol are based on emissions factors from the National Greenhouse Accounts Factors: 2022 for gasoline-fuelled cars and light commercial vehicles.
Transportation fuels emit different levels of greenhouse gasses depending on the fuel type, the engine technology employed, and the size of the vehicle. Your own vehicle may be different from our estimate depending on these factors.
One of the most effective ways to reduce the carbon impact of driving is to drive less. This can be achieved by consolidating trips, carpooling, or using public transportation or biking. Moving to an electric vehicle or regularly maintaining your vehicle can also improve its fuel efficiency and reduce emissions. This includes regular tune-ups, tire inflation, and replacing dirty air filters.
Read more about the National Greenhouse Accounts Factors: 2022.
An average mobile phone generates around 57-117kg throughout its lifecycle.
The carbon footprint of a mobile handset consists of the sum total of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere from the phone’s production, transport, use, and disposal. This encompasses emissions from extracting and refining raw materials, manufacturing the phone, transporting it to consumers, the energy consumed to power the phone during use, and disposing or recycling it at the end of its life. The emissions of your device may vary from our estimates based on these factors.
Our estimates are based on publicly available life cycle assessments for the devices we ship.
To reduce the emissions of a mobile phone, you can use energy-efficient features such as low power mode, extend the life of the phone by trading it in, recycle or dispose of the phone properly through MobileMuster, and use a low-emission charger.
Note that the emissions associated with your Telstra mobile plan (e.g. from electricity that powers the radio access network) are already carbon neutral at no cost to you. This is the case for all of Telstra’s mobile plans, but does not cover the emissions associated with handsets (the physical device).
In addition, Telstra’s total operations are carbon neutral. The carbon neutral status of our operations and our mobile plans is certified under the Australian Government’s Climate Active program.
The average Australian diet generates around 5,300kg of carbon emissions per year.
Each year the average Australian’s diet gives rise to 5300kg of CO2e.
Of the total dietary related emissions, 55% is attributed to red meat and 27% is attributed to energy-dense, nutrient poor “non-core” foods.
Additionally, food waste can also contribute to emissions, as it generates methane when it decomposes in landfills. By making more sustainable food choices such as eating less meat and reducing food waste, it is possible to lower the emissions associated with what you eat
Study we used for this calculation: 'Greenhouse Gas Emissions and the Australian Diet – Comparing Dietary Recommendations with Average Intakes’, Nutrients 2014, 6, 289-303.
The idea behind carbon offsetting is that you can balance out the impact of carbon emissions on the environment by supporting projects that will avoid, reduce or remove an equivalent of those emissions from the atmosphere.
For example, the average mobile phone generates roughly between 57-117kg of carbon emissions throughout its lifecycle. That includes manufacturing, transport, use and disposal. While you can reduce some of those emissions by using your phone less or by trading it in so it can be recycled, you can’t completely avoid them (unless you don’t buy a phone at all, but then how would you watch cute animal videos?)
To help soften the impact of emissions you can’t avoid, you can support accredited climate projects (in this case by using your Telstra Plus points) that avoid, reduce or remove emissions from the atmosphere.
No. To be able to say you are carbon neutral, you need to be able to first measure your emissions, reduce those emissions as much as possible through actions you take, and then offset any emissions you are unable to avoid.
So while you can use your Telstra Plus points support climate projects and help to offset emissions, the amount of those offsets will not necessarily equate to the emissions created by your everyday life. But every little bit helps.
The amount of Telstra Plus points you need to redeem depends on the cost of the carbon credits that each project issues.
International carbon credits are typically cheaper than Australian carbon credits because the demand for carbon credits and the supply of credits available for purchase vary between countries and regions.
While their prices may differ, you can rest assured that the projects supported and credits purchased from both International and Australian Projects are consistent with the Australian government’s Climate Active program guidelines (PDF, 835KB).
Just like any other product in the Telstra Plus store, Telstra will convert the Telstra Plus points you redeem into a dollar amount, which we’ll use to support certified carbon offset projects.
We’ll do this by retiring carbon credits from the selected carbon offset projects. The carbon credits we retire may be carbon credits we’ve already purchased or will purchase for the purpose of Offset with Telstra.
No. Because Telstra purchases the carbon credits, they’ll be registered in the name of Telstra. Even though the carbon credits are registered to Telstra, they don’t contribute to Telstra’s climate commitments or carbon neutral status. You will not own or have any right or interest in the carbon credits.
No, your support will not contribute to Telstra’s climate commitments or count towards Telstra’s carbon neutral status.
This is simply a way for you to support carbon offset projects to help offset emissions you are unable to avoid in everyday life.
Yes, you can redeem your Telstra Plus points for more than one offset, depending on how many Telstra Plus points you have available.
You won’t be able to use your Telstra Plus points to offset more than the amounts listed in a single transaction, however you can always make multiple and separate redemptions to offset a higher amount.
When you offset with Telstra Plus, we may choose to purchase and retire a variety of different carbon credits.
For International Projects, the carbon credits that will be retired may include:
to meet the offset amount you've chosen.
For Australian Projects, the carbon credits that will be retired may include:
to meet the offset amount you've chosen.
While we can't guarantee exactly what projects will be supported or type of credits will be retired when you offset with Telstra Plus, we can guarantee that the carbon credits for both International and Australian Projects are consistent with Australian government's Climate Active program guidelines (PDF, 835KB).