University Data Centres: Policy and business case for reducing greenhouse gas emissions

This IISD study evaluates the feasibility of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from university data centres in Canada by analyzing three scenarios: relocation to zero-carbon facilities, relocation to low-emission urban grids with waste heat utilization, or modifying existing centres to capture waste heat. The study concludes that generating revenue through carbon credits is generally not economically attractive for individual universities, though a green community cloud operated by CANARIE is presented as a more viable alternative.

• The combined annual carbon footprint for the main mission-critical ICT data centres at the three studied universities was 11,305 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e), with the University of Alberta contributing 5,288 tonnes, Dalhousie 5,010 tonnes, and Ottawa 1,007 tonnes.
• Of the three scenarios investigated—relocation to zero-carbon facilities, relocation to low-emission urban grids with waste heat use, or modifying existing centres for waste heat capture—only the third scenario for the University of Alberta resulted in a positive net present value (NPV) and sufficient revenue from carbon credits to cover project expenses.
• While individual university efforts to generate revenue via carbon credits were generally not economically attractive, the study suggests that a green community cloud data centre administered by CANARIE would be more likely to be economically beneficial.

APA

Vetter,, J.-F. L. C. M. (2010). University Data Centres: Policy and business case for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/university-data-centres-policy-and-business-case-reducing-greenhouse-gas

Chicago

Vetter,, Jean-François Lévesque,Chris Caners,Don MacLean,Tony. University Data Centres: Policy and business case for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2010. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/university-data-centres-policy-and-business-case-reducing-greenhouse-gas.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Vetter, |first1=Jean-François Lévesque,Chris Caners,Don MacLean,Tony |title=University Data Centres: Policy and business case for reducing greenhouse gas emissions |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=23 September 2010 |url=https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/university-data-centres-policy-and-business-case-reducing-greenhouse-gas |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{vetter2010university, author = {Vetter,, Jean-François Lévesque,Chris Caners,Don MacLean,Tony}, title = {{University Data Centres: Policy and business case for reducing greenhouse gas emissions}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2010}, month = sep, url = {https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/university-data-centres-policy-and-business-case-reducing-greenhouse-gas}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }