Sustainability
We believe a strong transport network is one made up of a good mix of rail, road and active transport to keep everyone moving.
At the same time we recognise that building and operating roads generates greenhouse gas emissions, which contribute to climate change.
We’re working hard to decarbonise our business and help the millions of customers who drive on our roads to reduce their impact.
Explore our sustainability data to learn about how we’re reducing the environmental impact of building and operating roads, and what you can do to minimise emissions when travelling by road.
We know that sustainability is about more than just reducing impact, it’s about creating positive outcomes for people and planet. Find out more about Transurban’s sustainability strategy.
Sustainability
We believe a strong transport network is one made up of a good mix of rail, road and active transport to keep everyone moving.
At the same time we recognise that building and operating roads generates greenhouse gas emissions, which contribute to climate change.
We’re working hard to decarbonise our business and help the millions of customers who drive on our roads to reduce their impact.
Explore our sustainability data to learn about how we’re reducing the environmental impact of building and operating roads, and what you can do to minimise emissions when travelling by road.
We know that sustainability is about more than just reducing impact, it’s about creating positive outcomes for people and planet. Find out more about Transurban’s sustainability strategy.
Explore our sustainability data
Sustainability targets and data
In 2017 we set greenhouse gas emission reduction targets to achieve by 2030 and were the first top-20 ASX-listed company to have our targets validated by the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi). Then in 2020 we committed to achieving net zero by 2050. Our 2050 net-zero target (Scope 1, 2 and 3) is currently with SBTi for validation.
Find out more about our targets below.
What we’ve done
- Operating with 80% renewable energy
- Installed 234kW of on-site solar panels
- Worked with incident response and maintenance provider in NSW (Ventia) on procurement of an Australian-first custom-built, fully electric-truck-mounted attenuator
- Ventilation optimisation, roadside technology upgrades and LED lighting upgrades reducing demand for electricity by 20,344MWh per annum.
2030 milestones
- Transition majority of our fleet to Zero Emissions Vehicles (ZEVs)
- Increase our use of renewable energy across the business
- Install more on-site solar power where appropriate
- Encourage contractors to transition to ZEVs by 2030
- Continue optimising tunnel ventilation systems and upgrading LED lighting and roadside technology as components near end-of-life.
2050 milestones
- Operate a 100% electric fleet, powered by 100% renewable energy
- Transition to 100% renewable energy
- Prioritise the use of low-carbon products and services
- Carbon-offset unavoidable residual emissions.
What we’ve done
- Established mandatory Infrastructure Sustainability (IS) ratings for all Australian projects, reducing major project emissions by 771,580 tCO2e (tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent) across nine projects to date
- Engaged with major suppliers on GHG reporting, targets and decarbonisation
- Collaborating with the Materials Embodied Carbon Leaders Alliance (MECLA) on decarbonising the Australian construction sector
- Established major supplier reporting protocols to drive transparent reporting and accurate data capture, with:
- 32 of our top-100 suppliers report having active GHG reduction targets in place
- 26% of responding suppliers’ energy now comes from renewable sources.
2030 milestones
- Engage with suppliers to transition to renewable energy, including setting science-based GHG reduction or net zero targets
- Enhance major project specifications to reduce fuel use, and to increase renewable energy and low-carbon material use
- Engage with major suppliers on a collaborative supply chain decarbonisation strategy.
2050 milestones
- Influence our investment partners to implement decarbonisation programs for shared assets
- Capture our extended supply chain by supporting overall electricity grid transition to renewables
- Work with government and industry on transition to low-carbon construction materials and emerging technologies
- Minimise supply chain travel-related emissions using flexible contracting arrangements, digital technology access, ZEVs and aviation sector commitments.
Data below shows how we are tracking towards our emissions targets and how we are decarbonising the energy mix we use to power our operations. You can download our detailed environmental data using the link below.
In 2017 we set greenhouse gas emission reduction targets to achieve by 2030 and were the first top-20 ASX-listed company to have our targets validated by the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi). Then in 2020 we committed to achieving net zero by 2050. Our 2050 net-zero target (Scope 1, 2 and 3) is currently with SBTi for validation.
Find out more about our targets below.
What we’ve done
- Operating with 80% renewable energy
- Installed 234kW of on-site solar panels
- Worked with incident response and maintenance provider in NSW (Ventia) on procurement of an Australian-first custom-built, fully electric-truck-mounted attenuator
- Ventilation optimisation, roadside technology upgrades and LED lighting upgrades reducing demand for electricity by 20,344MWh per annum.
2030 milestones
- Transition majority of our fleet to Zero Emissions Vehicles (ZEVs)
- Increase our use of renewable energy across the business
- Install more on-site solar power where appropriate
- Encourage contractors to transition to ZEVs by 2030
- Continue optimising tunnel ventilation systems and upgrading LED lighting and roadside technology as components near end-of-life.
2050 milestones
- Operate a 100% electric fleet, powered by 100% renewable energy
- Transition to 100% renewable energy
- Prioritise the use of low-carbon products and services
- Carbon-offset unavoidable residual emissions.
What we’ve done
- Established mandatory Infrastructure Sustainability (IS) ratings for all Australian projects, reducing major project emissions by 771,580 tCO2e (tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent) across nine projects to date
- Engaged with major suppliers on GHG reporting, targets and decarbonisation
- Collaborating with the Materials Embodied Carbon Leaders Alliance (MECLA) on decarbonising the Australian construction sector
- Established major supplier reporting protocols to drive transparent reporting and accurate data capture, with:
- 32 of our top-100 suppliers report having active GHG reduction targets in place
- 26% of responding suppliers’ energy now comes from renewable sources.
2030 milestones
- Engage with suppliers to transition to renewable energy, including setting science-based GHG reduction or net zero targets
- Enhance major project specifications to reduce fuel use, and to increase renewable energy and low-carbon material use
- Engage with major suppliers on a collaborative supply chain decarbonisation strategy.
2050 milestones
- Influence our investment partners to implement decarbonisation programs for shared assets
- Capture our extended supply chain by supporting overall electricity grid transition to renewables
- Work with government and industry on transition to low-carbon construction materials and emerging technologies
- Minimise supply chain travel-related emissions using flexible contracting arrangements, digital technology access, ZEVs and aviation sector commitments.
Data below shows how we are tracking towards our emissions targets and how we are decarbonising the energy mix we use to power our operations. You can download our detailed environmental data using the link below.
Reducing our impact
Toll roads generally provide faster and more consistent travel times compared to alternate stop-start routes, saving customers time, fuel and GHG emissions.
On average our customers generate 28% less greenhouse gas emissions by using our roads instead of the alternate route.
The graph below shows how travel-time savings translate to less GHG emissions.
Smart road and tunnel design also helps to reduce vehicle emissions. Factors such as the gradient or steepness of the motorway, its alignment and the smoothness of the road’s surface (pavement) can go a long way toward reducing vehicle emissions. For example, NorthConnex was designed with a straighter and flatter gradient to minimise emissions.
Building major infrastructure is one of the most energy and resource-intensive parts of Transurban’s business. One of the ways we minimise the impact is by requiring our projects to achieve an ‘Excellent’ Infrastructure Sustainability rating (IS) as a minimum standard.
The IS rating tool is facilitated by the Infrastructure Sustainability Council (ISC), and benchmarks best practice sustainability standards on infrastructure assets across planning, design, construction, and operation phases.
This has helped reduce GHG emissions by 771,580 tCO2e across nine projects to date.
While our business continues to grow, energy-efficiency improvements—such as optimisation of tunnel ventilation systems and lighting upgrades—are achieving significant savings on individual roads and tunnels.
We have a 10% energy-efficiency savings target from a 2013 baseline, which applies to our 2016 asset base. In FY23 we achieved our target, having delivered 13% in energy-efficiency savings, which reduced our energy consumption by more than 73,000 GJ each year.
Electricity represents 92% of Transurban’s total Scope 1 and 2 energy use, with most used to power our lighting, tunnel ventilation systems and traffic management centres. These efficiencies have come from improvement initiatives such as upgrading to more efficient LED lighting and optimising tunnel ventilation systems in response to updated traffic profiles.
Toll roads generally provide faster and more consistent travel times compared to alternate stop-start routes, saving customers time, fuel and GHG emissions.
On average our customers generate 28% less greenhouse gas emissions by using our roads instead of the alternate route.
The graph below shows how travel-time savings translate to less GHG emissions.
Smart road and tunnel design also helps to reduce vehicle emissions. Factors such as the gradient or steepness of the motorway, its alignment and the smoothness of the road’s surface (pavement) can go a long way toward reducing vehicle emissions. For example, NorthConnex was designed with a straighter and flatter gradient to minimise emissions.
Building major infrastructure is one of the most energy and resource-intensive parts of Transurban’s business. One of the ways we minimise the impact is by requiring our projects to achieve an ‘Excellent’ Infrastructure Sustainability rating (IS) as a minimum standard.
The IS rating tool is facilitated by the Infrastructure Sustainability Council (ISC), and benchmarks best practice sustainability standards on infrastructure assets across planning, design, construction, and operation phases.
This has helped reduce GHG emissions by 771,580 tCO2e across nine projects to date.
While our business continues to grow, energy-efficiency improvements—such as optimisation of tunnel ventilation systems and lighting upgrades—are achieving significant savings on individual roads and tunnels.
We have a 10% energy-efficiency savings target from a 2013 baseline, which applies to our 2016 asset base. In FY23 we achieved our target, having delivered 13% in energy-efficiency savings, which reduced our energy consumption by more than 73,000 GJ each year.
Electricity represents 92% of Transurban’s total Scope 1 and 2 energy use, with most used to power our lighting, tunnel ventilation systems and traffic management centres. These efficiencies have come from improvement initiatives such as upgrading to more efficient LED lighting and optimising tunnel ventilation systems in response to updated traffic profiles.
Reducing your emissions
Eco-driving is a driving technique that reduces fuel consumption, emissions and can minimise vehicle wear-and-tear.
We ran an eco-driving trial in Queensland, which involved 400 customers fitting a smart device to their vehicle to monitor efficiency. Information from the smart device encouraged more economical driving and led to a 5.5% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
Learn how you can apply eco-driving techniques on your next trip.
In a survey of over 3,000 people across Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland we found 42% would like to their next car to be an electric vehicle, but high purchase cost, lack of charging infrastructure and concern around how much it would cost to charge were holding them back. Findings were published in the August 2021 edition of our Urban Mobility Trends report.
Below are some resources you can use to find out more about owning an EV:
- Compare the cost of running an EV versus a petrol-fuelled vehicle using a cost calculator built by Evenergi (funded by Australian Renewable Energy Agency)
- Check out the number of public EV chargers near you on the PlugShare map
We gave some of our Australian customers the opportunity to test drive a Nissan Leaf electric vehicle for 10 days to really test its performance and see how an EV could fit into their home, workplace and lifestyle.
Eco-driving is a driving technique that reduces fuel consumption, emissions and can minimise vehicle wear-and-tear.
We ran an eco-driving trial in Queensland, which involved 400 customers fitting a smart device to their vehicle to monitor efficiency. Information from the smart device encouraged more economical driving and led to a 5.5% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
Learn how you can apply eco-driving techniques on your next trip.
In a survey of over 3,000 people across Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland we found 42% would like to their next car to be an electric vehicle, but high purchase cost, lack of charging infrastructure and concern around how much it would cost to charge were holding them back. Findings were published in the August 2021 edition of our Urban Mobility Trends report.
Below are some resources you can use to find out more about owning an EV:
- Compare the cost of running an EV versus a petrol-fuelled vehicle using a cost calculator built by Evenergi (funded by Australian Renewable Energy Agency)
- Check out the number of public EV chargers near you on the PlugShare map
We gave some of our Australian customers the opportunity to test drive a Nissan Leaf electric vehicle for 10 days to really test its performance and see how an EV could fit into their home, workplace and lifestyle.