What is the Reverse the Effect program?

The Reverse the Effect program has been introduced as an initiative of the Queensland Government to encourage Queensland motorists to reduce the impact of their vehicle's greenhouse gas emissions on our environment. Motorists can achieve this by donating towards establishing native forests in Queensland that capture carbon from the atmosphere and help expand protected areas in Queensland.

What does balance mean?

Balance is the act of neutralising greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. This is achieved through activities such as planting trees. Planting trees can counterbalance carbon emissions. Other organisations call this carbon offsetting but we much prefer calling it carbon balancing as we can all try to balance our needs with protecting the environment.

How does balancing carbon help our environment?

Donating towards Reverse the Effect, to help balance carbon emissions, channels funds into carbon forestry projects by planting native tree species in Queensland. Creating forests helps contribute to absorbing CO2e from our atmosphere. One tonne of carbon balanced activity represents one tonne of CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent) that has been reduced from the atmosphere. CO2e is a greenhouse gas which is believed to have a role in global warming and contribute to climate change.

All trees that are planted as part of the Reverse the Effect program will form multi-species biodiverse forests that will mitigate climate change and also further expand and link Queensland's protected areas. These forest projects will:

  • lead to the revegetation of cleared landscapes
  • assist with soil erosion and salinity and the reestablishment of wildlife habitat
  • enhance important ecosystems
  • contribute to improvements in the water quality of Queensland's creeks and rivers.

Is carbon balancing just an excuse to pollute or does it achieve a real reduction in emissions?

The Reverse the Effect program is an important part of enabling Queenslanders to help balance the impact of their vehicle emissions. It does need to be complemented with efforts to reduce transport emissions. Opportunities for doing this include reducing car use and using more environmentally friendly travel options, such as public transport, cycling, walking and car pooling.

Where it is not possible to travel by a more environmentally friendly mode, you can still reduce your emissions by:

  • Purchasing the most fuel-efficient car for your needs;
  • Planning ahead to reduce the frequency and length of your car trips;
  • Servicing your car regularly, keeping the tyres inflated to the recommended pressure and removing roof racks and unnecessary weight;
  • Driving smoothly by avoiding unnecessary accelerating and breaking;
  • Avoiding peak hour city driving; and
  • Joining or organising a car pool.

How does planting trees and creating forests help reduce the impact of vehicle emissions?

Trees are one of the planet's greatest assets. As trees grow they capture carbon and absorb CO2e from the atmosphere. By planting trees and creating forests they will capture some of the greenhouse gases produced by your vehicle.

How will your donation help balance the average annual emission for your vehicle type?

Donations from motorists will be pooled with other donations, along with the Queensland Government's matching contributions, and used to fund the planting of trees to create carbon forests, on a project by project basis.

Reverse the Effect will fund projects that are designed, implemented and maintained with the intention of sequestering emissions for the program over 30 years.

Modelling sequestration to match donations

Number of trees to be planted
Based on two carbon forest systems - hardwood plantings and environmental 'woodland' plantings - over 40 years. CSIRO estimates the average weighted annual rate of carbon sequestration for Queensland to be 9 tonnes of carbon dioxide per hectare per year (CO2/ha/year). This sequestration rate has been used as an approximation for Reverse The Effect site potential. Over 30 years this would equate to 270 tonnes of CO2/ha/year. Using a minimum planting rate of 800 stems per hectare, this means that each tree would sequester 0.34 tonnes over 30 years. Given Ecofund will always seek sites with higher than average biosequestration rates it follows that, to balance the emissions of a medium sized vehicle on a site with sequestration rates of 9 tonnes CO2/ha/year, up to 12 trees will be planted.

Carbon sequestration claim for creation and retirement of carbon offsets
The CSIRO modelling referred to above is an average for sequestration across the entire state of Queensland. Reverse the Effect sites may be located anywhere in Queensland and will be selected based on various factors including strategic location for biodiverse outcomes. Each planting will have its own site specifications that impact on sequestration potential, such as species selection, stem numbers per hectar, rainfall and soil type.

Sequestration potential of a particular planting project will be modelled in accordance with the National Carbon Accounting Toolbox (NCAT). Future carbon claims will be based on this modelling. If total failure of a site should occur (e.g. destruction by fire) sites will be proected by some form of insurance or other appropriate risk management.

Emissions generated by planting projects will be considered when a site is registered for the carbon offsets to be created. Emissions from Reverse the Effect projects will be minimised.

How do you know that 850,000 trees are capable of reducing 200,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions?

Although the amount of greenhouse gas reductions associated with a tree planting project are very specific and dependent on many factors (such as tree species, rainfall, soil type etc), based on CSIRO modelling we conservatively allow for capture of 270 tonnes of CO2 per hectare over a 30 year period in Queensland. A typical project will plant a minimum of 800 trees per hectare, that is, trees are planted around three and a half metres apart. By planting 850,000 trees then, we estimate that a total of around 290,000 tonnes of CO2 will be captured over 30 years as the trees grow and form forests.

How does my donation towards planting trees help expand protected areas in Queensland?

All trees that are planted as part of the Reverse the Effect program will be planted on land with a legal covenant or carbon property right placed over them that will see them protected for a minimum of 100 years. The tree planting sites could also be secured as protected areas and will be managed by landholders as nature refuges or even as national parks by the Department of Environment and Resource Management.

Who is eligible to make a donation?

Any Queensland resident is eligible to make a donation to reduce the impact of their vehicle emissions.

Why are only Queenslanders eligible to donate through this program?

The program is presently only available to Queenslanders. The Queensland Trust for Nature has been established to protect and enhance the natural environment within the State of Queensland. The trust is presently sanctioned under the Collections Act.

Is my donation tax deductible?

Your donation is tax deductible. The Queensland Trust for Nature who will be receiving donations is registered with deductible gift recipient (DGR) status with the Australian Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts and the Australian Tax Office.

How much can I donate?

We suggest you donate the dollar amounts allocated against each vehicle type.

Can I donate more if I want to?

You can donate more if you wish by opting out of receiving the Queensland Government matching contribution. If you choose to do so your suggested donation will double.

How much is the Queensland Government contribution towards my donation?

The Queensland Government is matching donations (where no opt-out is selected) thus reducing the donations suggested amount levels by 50%. For example to help balance the emissions from a small vehicle the cost is $106 however with the government subsidy the suggested donation amount you contribute is $53.

How much is the Queensland Government contribution towards the program?

The Queensland Government is matching motorists' contributions dollar-for-dollar up to $4.5 million until 2014. Payment of the subsidy is subject to the government's allocated yearly commitment.

How do I get the Queensland Government matching contribution?

The Queensland Government matching contribution is automatically included in the donation amounts available when you select a vehicle type. By clicking on the relevant box you can select to opt-out of receiving the Queensland Government matching contribution.

Why is the government encouraging Queenslanders to reduce the impact of their vehicle emissions?

Greenhouse gas emissions contribute to global warming and climate change, which are important issues for us all.

In 2007, the transport sector was the fourth largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Queensland generating approximately 10.4 per cent of statewide emissions. Road transport was the largest source of transport-related greenhouse gas emissions in 2007, contributing approximately 85% of the sector's emissions or 16.01 million tonnes in 2007.1 It was therefore important in developing the climate change strategy, ClimateQ: toward a greener Queensland, that the Queensland Government help raise awareness of and take action against transport-related emissions.

Reverse the Effect is one of 39 initiatives within Queensland's climate change strategy, ClimateQ that aims to reduce the state's greenhouse gas emissions

What happens to the money donated?

All donations received are to be held initially by the Queensland Trust for Nature. These donations will eventually be applied towards forestry projects in Queensland. These projects will be managed by Ecofund Queensland.

The forestry projects will be planted in locations that will complement and enhance our protected natural areas in Queensland to provide maximum environmental benefits. The forests will be planned by ecological specialists to achieve long term viability and biodiversity outcomes. Multiple tree species will be planted to create forests that increase resilience to climate change and enhance the natural environment. These forests will also provide important habitat for wildlife. The trees planted will be protected and remain in the ground for over 100 years.

The trees will be measured using Australian national standards to determine the amount of carbon captured. The carbon captured will be matched to the donations received to help balance vehicle emissions. Any carbon credits that are created from the plantings will then be accredited under Australian national standards and retired from the carbon market.

What is the Queensland Trust for Nature?

The Queensland Trust for Nature is a not-for-profit organisation established for community benefit as a legal entity in its own right. The Trust operates a fund which is used to protect biodiversity and enhance and protect the natural environment in Queensland. For more information please visit www.qt4n.com.au.

What is the vehicle emission calculation based on?

The vehicle emission calculation is based on the average Queensland vehicle use. Ecofund consulted the Australian Government's Green Vehicle Guide (www.greenvehicleguide.gov.au), the Australian Bureau of Statistics and the Environmental Protection Agency in Victoria to identify relevant vehicle data for carbon footprint calculations. Ecofund then multiplied the kilograms of greenhouse gas emissions per kilometre by the average kilometres travelled per year. This was divided by 1000 to convert to tonnes before adding a 20% risk buffer to cover discrepancies between vehicle types and maintenance.

Can I reduce other emissions by donating further?

Reverse the Effect only calculates donations based on vehicle emissions. Other carbon reduction initiatives will be introduced by Ecofund Queensland in the future. Visit www.ecofund.net.au for further information.

What do I receive for my donation?

You will receive an electronic certificate of donation and receipt confirming the details of your donation. It will be sent by email to your nominated email address. You will also receive a vehicle bumper sticker if you selected to receive one during the transaction process to your nominated postal address.

Will I receive a receipt or tax invoice?

Yes, a receipt will be emailed to your nominated email address once your donation is complete and credit card transaction has been processed.

How do I know if my donation has been processed and received?

A confirmation screen will pop up once your donation has successfully processed. You will also receive an email to your nominated email address with your donation confirmation receipt and certificate.

How do I know the donation process is secure?

Your credit card is being processed using the CommWeb payment gateway. It is a secure, reliable and reputable system managed by the Commonwealth Bank. All credit card information is held and processed by the bank.