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The study examines three scenarios for greening data centres at Dalhousie University, the University of Ottawa, and the University of Alberta. It finds that relocating to remote renewable sites (Scenario 1) or urban low-emission grids (Scenario 2) is economically unviable due to high capital costs. Only on-site waste heat recovery (Scenario 3) showed a positive net present value for one institution. The report suggests a 'green community cloud' managed by CANARIE as a more viable alternative to individual university efforts.

The study finds that the average York resident has a carbon footprint of 12.58 tonnes of CO2 per year, with housing and transport accounting for 60% of this total. Analysis of Lower Layer Super Output Areas (LSOAs) reveals significant variation: the highest footprints are found in city centre, rural, and commuter areas, while the lowest are in disadvantaged urban areas or student-heavy neighbourhoods. The report identifies a gap between green attitudes and actual behaviour, noting that some neighbourhoods with strong green attitudes still maintain high footprints. By combining data on emissions, resident attitudes, and local infrastructure, the report identifies specific neighbourhoods with the 'highest potential' for change. For housing, these include Heworth Without Rural and South Bank Central; for transport, the Holgate and Osbaldwick areas are highlighted. The findings support the 'York Green Streets Challenge', a project targeting 100 households to achieve a 10% reduction in their carbon footprint in 2010.