By Fredrick Obura

The flower sector is setting up a pooled carbon credit scheme.

The Kenya Flower Council chief executive officer Jane Ngige, says the industry is looking at counting all trees cultivated in each farm to form a "flower industry forest".

This will then be fronted as a single carbon sink. "We are auditing clean energy schemes to replicate these farms to collectively earn credits that would be ploughed into more activities," she said. The Ministry of Environment is working with two growers on a pilot scheme to convert farm waste into biogas.

If successful, the firms – Simbi Roses in Thika and PJ Dave in Kitengela – will be replicated elsewhere. PJ Dave Farm Manager, Peter Kiarie, said flowers produce substantial waste, which, if converted into biogas, would save the country considerable hydro-electricity.

Most of the waste is composted and in a few farms, such as Vegepro, it is used to make liquid organic fertiliser.

On the other hand, a number of farms have installed clean energy projects, key among them, is Oserian Development Company that has established the world’s largest geothermal heated greenhouse.

The farm generates 95 per cent of its energy requirements. Another milestone in the sector is the giant solar energy plant run by Bilashaka Flowers, a clear indication that the country is yet to exploit clean energy.

Managing director, Joost Zuurbeir, says that two years after the multi-million project was launched in 2006, the firm had recouped its investment.

"The result is a cleaner, healthier flower from a cleaner environment", he said.

Stephene Mutimba, the managing director of Camco, says an energy consultancy firm that has been contracted by the flower industry to study the existing and untapped potential of clean energy, recommends pooling of resources and supporting of the smaller firms to install solar panels.

"The idea is to establish a revolving fund where farms can borrow money to set up clean energy initiatives," he said.

If the plan succeeds, the country would reaffirm the position that flowers produced in the country emit less carbon.