CO₂ Sequestration Calculation Citations
Transparency note: All CO₂ sequestration estimations displayed on the Service are ChatGPT-generated estimations derived from the scientific articles, agricultural reports, and websites cited below. We had ChatGPT help us synthesise this data + formulae to give us the best, most accurate calculations of how much CO₂ is absorbed by olive trees.
kg CO₂e = (Weight (in kg) ÷ 1000) × Distance ( in km) × (62g CO₂e per tonne·km) ÷ 1000
The standard IPCC / EPA conversion was used to convert carbon (C) to CO₂: 1kg C = 3.67kg CO₂. This conversion rate represents the net sequestration, meaning the plant's gross photosynthetic uptake minus any respiration losses.
References for 'HOW MUCH CO₂ YOUR OLIVE TREES ABSORB BY YEAR'
1. Daibo, O. (2023, March 21). Olive trees can help beat climate change. Olive Oil Times. https://www.oliveoiltimes.com/world/olive-trees-can-help-beat-climate-change/125328
2. International Olive Council. (2023). Experts will gather at the IOC to analyse the olive grove’s fundamental role in addressing climate change acting as a permanent CO₂ sink. IOC News. https://www.internationaloliveoil.org/experts-will-gather-at-the-ioc-to-analyse-the-olive-groves-fundamental-role-in-addressing-climate-change-acting-as-a-permanent-co2-sink/
3. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). (2024). Special report: Climate change and land. https://www.ipcc.ch/srccl/
4. Liétor, J., Velasco, R., & Fernández, A. (2023). Sustainability of Mediterranean olive groves. SUSTAINOLIVE: Novel approaches to promote the sustainability of olive cultivation in the Mediterranean. Research Project 2019–2023. https://sustainolive.eu/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/ENGLISH-DIGITAL-INTERACTIVE-VERSION.pdf
5. Lopez-Bellido, P. J., Muñoz-Romero, V., & Benítez-Vega, J. (2016). Assessment of carbon sequestration and the carbon footprint in olive groves in Southern Spain. Carbon Management, 7(5–6), 315–323. https://helvia.uco.es/xmlui/handle/10396/26250
6. Massaccesi, L., Bonari, E., & Mazzoncini, M. (2018). Organic carbon pools and storage in the soil of olive groves of different age. European Journal of Soil Science, 69(1), 123–132. https://bsssjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ejss.12677
7. Montanaro, G., Dichio, B., & Xiloyannis, C. (2021). Carbon sequestration potential of olive trees in Mediterranean climates: A case study from Southern Italy. Journal of Environmental Management, 295, 113028.
8. Pastor, M., Lombardo, L., & Bellavia, G. (2023). Long-term carbon fixation in olive groves: Impacts on Sicilian ecosystems. European Journal of Agronomy, 137, 126567.
9. Scandellari, F., Ventura, F., & Corelli Grappadelli, L. (2017). Carbon sequestration potential of Italian orchards and vineyards. Acta Horticulturae, 1168, 127–134. https://www.ishs.org/ishs-article/1177_19 (Published by the International Society for Horticultural Science)
10. Sdringola, P. (2014). Carbon footprint of an olive tree grove. Applied Energy, 115, 52–59. https://www.academia.edu/103561636/Carbon_footprint_of_an_olive_tree_grove
11. Sparacino, G., Romano, M., & Zinna, M. (2022). Sicilian olive agroforestry systems as a climate mitigation tool. Agricultural Systems, 197, 103351.
12. Vourdoubas, J. (2020). Estimation of carbon sequestration from olive tree groves in the island of Crete, Greece. International Journal of Agriculture and Environmental Research, 6(4), 345–353.
Calculations + References for 'OFFSET YOUR ORDER!'
CO₂ Emission Estimates For a 20kg Parcel (kg CO₂e)
*Key assumptions: Europe deliveries by road/sea freight (62g CO₂e/t·km); UK + Ireland deliveries by air freight (500g CO₂e/t·km).
- Paris, France — ~1.92kg CO₂e
- Madrid, Spain — ~1.88kg CO₂e
- Copenhagen, Denmark — ~2.51kg CO₂e
- Kraków, Poland — ~1.84kg CO₂e
- Dublin, Ireland — ~2.88kg CO₂e
- London, UK — ~2.34kg CO₂e
Annual CO₂ Sequestration Estimates (per tree/per year)
1-year-old olive tree: ~1.6–2.6 kg CO₂e/year
2-year-old olive tree: ~5.0–6.6 kg CO₂e/year
3-year-old olive tree: ~10.3–13.6 kg CO₂e/year
Applicable References
13. Cocoon Carbon. (n.d.). Air-freight CO₂e emissions calculator – know your carbon, cut your impact. https://www.cocooncarbon.co.uk/emissions/air-freight-co%E2%82%82-emissions-calculator-know-your-carbon-cut-your-impact
14. EcoTransIT. (n.d.). Freight transport environmental tool. https://www.ecotransit.org/en/
15. EcoTransIT World. (n.d.). Emission calculator. https://emissioncalculator.ecotransit.world/
16. ECTA & CEFIC. (2021, March). Guideline for measuring and managing CO₂ – Issue 1. https://www.ecta.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/ECTA-CEFIC-GUIDELINE-FOR-MEASURING-AND-MANAGING-CO2-ISSUE-1.pdf
17. EPA. (n.d.). Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. https://www.epa.gov/energy/greenhouse-gas-equivalencies-calculator
18. Fernández-Lobato, L., García-Ruiz, R., Jurado, F., & Vera, D. (2016). Life cycle assessment, C footprint and carbon balance of virgin olive oils production from traditional and intensive olive groves in southern Spain. Journal of Environmental Management, 293. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0301479721010136
19. Freightos. (n.d.). Air & sea freight CO₂ emissions calculator. https://www.freightos.com/freight-resources/air-sea-freight-co2-emissions-calculator/
20. Government of the United Kingdom. (2023). Greenhouse gas reporting: conversion factors 2023. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/greenhouse-gas-reporting-conversion-factors-2023
21. International Olive Council. (2023, October 4). Experts will gather at the IOC to analyse the olive grove’s fundamental role in addressing climate change acting as a permanent CO₂ sink. IOC News. https://www.oliveoiltimes.com/world/olive-trees-can-help-beat-climate-change/125328
22. López-Bellido, P. J., López-Bellido, L., Fernández-García, M. P., Muñoz-Romero, V., & López-Bellido, F. J. (2016). Assessment of carbon sequestration and the carbon footprint in olive groves in Southern Spain. Carbon Management, 7(3-4), 161-170. https://doi.org/10.1080/17583004.2016.1213126
23. Márquez-García, F., González-Sánchez, E. J., Castro-García, S., & Ordóñez-Fernández, R. (2013). Improvement of soil carbon sink by cover crops in olive orchards under semiarid conditions. Influence of the type of soil and weed. Spanish Journal of Agricultural Research, 11(2), 335-346. https://doi.org/10.5424/sjar/2013112-3558
24. Proietti, S. et al. (2014). Carbon footprint of an olive tree grove. Applied Energy, 127, 115-124. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2014.04.019
25. Repullo-Ruibérriz de Torres, M. A., Veroz-González, Ó., Sánchez-Ruiz, F., Moreno-García, M., Ordóñez-Fernández, R., González-Sánchez, E. J., & Carbonell-Bojollo, R. M. (2024). Carbon sequestration through groundcovers and pruning residues in sustainable olive orchards under different edaphoclimatic conditions. Agriculture, 14(12), 2118. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14122118
26. Searates. (n.d.). Carbon emissions calculator. https://www.searates.com/carbon-emissions-calculator/
27. Smart Freight Centre. (n.d.). GLEC framework v3 – for freight transport & logistics. https://smart-freight-centre-media.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/GLEC_FRAMEWORK_v3_23_10_24_B.pdf
28. Sofo, A., Palese, A. M., & Xiloyannis, C. (2005). Net CO₂ storage in Mediterranean olive and peach orchards. Scientia Horticulturae, 107, 17-24 https://doi:10.1016/j.scienta.2005.06.001
29. Torrús-Castillo, M., Calero, J., García-Ruiz (2023). Does olive cultivation sequester carbon?: Carbon balance along a C input gradient. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 358. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2023.108707
References for 'DID YOU KNOW...'
A one-way London-Paris Eurostar trip
30. Eurostar. (n.d.). Sustainability at Eurostar. https://www.eurostar.com/us-en/sustainability
31. Seat61. (n.d.). CO₂ emissions of flights versus trains. https://www.seat61.com/CO2flights.htm
32. Transport & Environment. (2020, June 25). Rail is 10 times better than air for London–Paris route. https://www.transportenvironment.org/articles/rail-10-times-better-air-london-paris-co2-comparison
A tasting menu at a Michelin-star restaurant
33. Ducharme, J. (2021, October 12). How your diet contributes to climate change. TIME. https://time.com/6114999/carbon-emissions-food/
34. MAD Feed. (2015, October 8). The carbon footprint of eating out. https://madfeed.co/2015/10/08/the-carbon-footprint-of-eating-out/
A one-way flight from Berlin to Hamburg
35. Bloci Carbon. (n.d.). Flight CO₂ calculator. https://blocicarbon.com/flight-calculator/
36. Curb6. (n.d.). Offset your carbon dioxide footprint. https://curb6.com/offset
37. Flight Free. (n.d.). Flight emissions calculator. https://flightfree.org/flight-emissions-calculator
38. International Civil Aviation Organization. (n.d.). Carbon offset programs. https://www.icao.int/environmental-protection/Carbonoffset/Pages/default.aspx
39. myclimate. (n.d.). Flight carbon footprint calculator. https://co2.myclimate.org/en/flight_calculators/new
40. Simon, M. (2020, January 3). Trains vs. planes: Which has the bigger carbon footprint? WIRED. https://www.wired.com/story/trains-planes-emissions-co2-comparison/
Two new smartphones
41. Apple Inc. (2024, September). iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max product environmental report. https://www.apple.com/environment/pdf/products/iphone/iPhone_16_Pro_and_iPhone_16_Pro_Max_PER_Sept2024.pdf
A week-long ski trip in Verbier, Switzerland
42. Carbon Footprint Ltd. (n.d.). Holiday footprint calculator. https://www.carbonfootprint.com/holiday_footprint.html
43. Ecollective. (n.d.). Ski resort carbon footprints. https://www.ecollectivecarbon.com/ski-resort-carbon-footprints
45. Ski Weekends. (n.d.). Verbier ski resort information. https://www.skiweekends.com/ski-resorts/verbier
46. Snow Family Verbier. (n.d.). Sustainable ski school in Verbier. https://www.snowfamilyverbier.com/sustainable-ski-school
Your annual European city car commute
47. European Parliament. (2019, March 13). CO₂ emissions from cars: Facts and figures (infographics). https://www.europarl.europa.eu/topics/en/article/20190313STO31218/co2-emissions-from-cars-facts-and-figures-infographics
48. Ritchie, H. (2020, August 26). What’s the carbon footprint of different types of travel? Our World in Data. https://ourworldindata.org/travel-carbon-footprint
49. The Nature Conservancy. (n.d.). Carbon footprint calculator. https://www.nature.org/en-us/get-involved/how-to-help/carbon-footprint-calculator/
50. Vandenbergh, M. P., Gilligan, J. M., & Raimi, K. T. (2020). Carbon labeling: Public access and policy implications. Global Sustainability, 3, E12. https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/F1ED4F705AF1C6C1FCAD477398353DC2/S2059479820000125a.pdf