Greenfleet's forests

Take a look for yourself

Featured supporter

Smartsalary

Trees  | Vehicles

How much carbon can a tree capture?

Greenfleet carbon capture models work with an average tree, in a biodiverse forest, capturing 268kg of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂-e) over its lifetime, so how do we calculate that value?

It was initially derived from models from the Bureau of Transport & Communication Economics and reviewed by the Centre for Forest Tree Technology.   

Monterey Pine or Tasmanian Blue Gum forest
Carbon content per hectare	219 tonnes / ha
Planting density	1,200 trees / ha
Average carbon content of a single tree	182.5 kg C
Average carbon dioxide equivalent content of a single tree	669 kg CO2-e

Greenfleet plants biodiverse forests which contain a selection of species native to the local area, this means that there can be variation in the size of the trees within the forest.  To take this variation into account, the above model is discounted by a factor of 2.5, so...

Greenfleet biodiverse forest
Average carbon content of a single tree	73 kg C
Average carbon dioxide equivalent content of a single tree	268 kg CO2-e
Average Greenfleet planting density	1,000 trees / ha
Average carbon dioxide equivalent yield per hectare	268 tonnes CO2-e / ha

 

And how long does it take?

Because Greenfleet plants forests to suit the local environment, some forests grow faster and some slower.  National Carbon Accounting Toolbox (NCAT) models show that Greenfleet's faster growing  forests capture 268 tonnes CO₂-e per hectare over approximately 16 years, while our slower growing forests take approximately 21 years. 

Across our entire pool of carbon forests, we are confident that we are capturing an average of 268 tonnes CO₂-e per hectare within 20 years.
 

Some average vehicle statistics...

Cars                Type of fuel:	ULP	Diesel	All fuels	Units
Fuel efficiency	11.1	12.3	11.5	L / 100 km
Average travel per year	14.0	14.0	14.3	x 1,000 km
Fuel emission factor (Full Fuel Cycle)	2.56	2.90	2.56 (ULP)	t CO2-e / kL
Emissions per year	4.0	5.0	4.2	t CO2-e / yr
Greenfleet biodiverse trees per year	15	19	16	trees
Trucks & buses (diesel fuel)	Rigid	Artic.	Bus	Units
Fuel efficiency	28.6	54.6	29.2	L / 100 km
Average travel per year	25.8	98.1	33.6	x 1,000 km
Diesel fuel emission factor	2.90	2.90	2.90	t CO2-e / kL
Emissions per year	21.4	155	28.5	t CO2-e / yr
Greenfleet biodiverse trees per year	80	579	107	trees

 

Average vehicle statistics are taken from Australian Bureau of Statistics' Survey of Motor Vehicle Use (released September 08, data for 12 months ending October 2007).

Fuel emission factors are General Transport Full Fuel Cycle (Scope 1 + Scope 3) calculated from the Australian Government's National Greenhouse Accounts Factors (July 2011)