Bunch of flowers from Nairobi 6.00 kgThe precis report of "Comparative Study of Cut Roses for the British Market Produced in Kenya and the Netherlands"
(
http://www.world-flowers.co.uk/12news/Comparative%20Study%20of%20Cut%20Roses%20Final%20Report%20Precis%2012%20Febv4.pdf)
says
"The production at Oserian [Kenya] and delivery to the World Flowers RDC of the functional unit of 12,000 cut
rose stems incurs 53,000 MJ primary energy and emits 2,200 kg CO2 (without including any allowance
for the altitude of emissions). 7,800 MJ (15%) is fossil."
Cut rose stems we have measured weigh an average of 25 gm so 12,000 cut stems weigh approximately 300 kg
For long haul passenger transport, including a radiative forcing index of 2.0, we have 210 gm CO2e per passenger kilometer.
("Carbon Dioxide from Passenger Transport"
http://www.greenrationbook.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=56.0 )
At approximately 10 passengers+luggage per tonne, this would suggest 2.10 kg per tonne-kilometer for freight.
So about every 500 kms goods carried will create their own weight in CO2e.
But Adidas give a figure of 0.903 kg per tonne-kilometer
(See
http://www.adidas-group.com/en/sustainability/environment/tackling_pollution/co2_emissions_from_transport_and_travel/default.asp)
Using a radiative forcing index of 2.0 this gives 1.806 kg per tonne-kilometer for CO2e.
This implies that every 554 kms goods carried will create their own weight in CO2e.
Nairobi airport is 6800 km from London so an estimate of 300 kg air freighted to London is 3,684 kg CO2e (1,842 kg CO2 without RFI multiplier of 2.0).
7,800 Mj of fossil generated electricity at 0.1 Kg per MJ give 780 kg of CO2.
780 + 1,842 kgs =2,622 kgs CO2 . This seems to compare reasonably well with the 2,200 kg CO2 quoted in the World Flowers report.
This gives 780+3,684 =4,464 Kg of CO2e for 12,000 rose stems. This is 370 gm CO2e per rose stem.
Local transport, refridgeration and wasteage will increase this. 500 gm per stem seems reasonable.
A bunch of lowers from Kenya, say, 6.00 kg.
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