Legal notices

How we use your information

This privacy notice tells you what to expect when the Environmental Quality Mark CIC collects personal information through websites and online tools including the main EQM website, the audit tools for Peak District EQM and Staffordshire EQM and the Carbon Tracker tool used by SBEN and West Yorkshire Combined Authority. It applies to information we collect about:

people and companies who use our services; and
visitors to our websites.

People and companies who use our services

The EQM CIC is a not for profit organisation, delivering the Environmental Quality Mark (EQM) award schemes across the Peak District and Staffordshire. We also offer the following services to companies and individuals:

Carbon footprinting, including hosting the Carbon Tracker for Staffordshire County Council and West Yorkshire Combined Authority;
Fair Trade and supply-chain auditing;
workshops and networking events;
consultancy;
one-to-one support and mentoring; and
opportunities for young people to gain high quality work experience.

Our mission is to inspire businesses to use sustainability to offer their customers fun and authentic experiences, leading to greater profitability through repeat business and referrals.

In order to provide the above services, we need to hold the details of the people and companies who have requested that service. However, we only use these details to provide the service and for other closely related purposes. For example, we may invite an EQM award holder to an event about EQM or send an award holder a newsletter about recent EQM activities.

If your company decides to stop working with EQM CIC, the information you provided us with will be stored for three years before being removed from our systems. You may still be contacted about upcoming events and be sent the EQM newsletter. You can request to not be in receipt of these at any time.

Specifically relating to EQM

When individuals and companies apply for the Environmental Quality Mark they submit their information on an online application form. Any personal or company information that is provided is used only for the purpose of assessing the eligibility for the award or for closely related purposes as detailed above.

At both the point of enquiry and the application phase, information submitted will be shared with third parties to enable us to follow the legal EQM award procedures set out in the Regulations Governing the Use of the Environmental Quality Mark certification mark. This will also enable the services EQM CIC offers to be carried out effectively.

These third parties are as follows:

the proprietors of the award (for the Peak District this is the Peak District National Park Authority and in Staffordshire this is Staffordshire County Council). These parties may undertake an internal consultation to flag any issues or opportunities, which could include both historic and current planning applications and/or enforcements;
the qualified assessor who scores the application and carries out the verification visit;
the independent awards panel, which comprises representatives from partner organisations including Friends of the Peak District, the Staffordshire Peak District Tourism Association; Destination Staffordshire; Marketing Peak District & Derbyshire and award holder representatives.

The business contact information provided by successful EQM award applicants will be published on the Peak District National Park Authority website, the EQM CIC website, the Greentraveller.co.uk website and in a leaflet which is distributed by a third party to information points, accommodation and attractions across the Peak District, Derbyshire and Staffordshire.

Specifically relating to the SBEN Carbon Tracker

When individuals and companies complete the SBEN Carbon Tracker they submit their information on an online form. Any personal or company information provided is used by EQM CIC only for the purposes of calculating a carbon footprint.

Information submitted will be shared with Staffordshire County Council and the Staffordshire Business and Environment Network (SBEN), who are the proprietors of the SBEN Carbon Tool. They will use the information provided firstly for assessing an organisations eligibility to use the Carbon Tracker, secondly anonymised and aggregated data will be used for internal monitoring and reporting relating to Staffordshire businesses carbon reduction activities. Anonymised and aggregated data may also be used in the promotion of the SBEN Carbon Tracker.

Information may be used for closely related purposes for example signposting users of the Carbon Tracker to appropriate grant funding or to offer environment-focused business support.

Staffordshire County Council’s privacy notice may be viewed at https://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/Your-council-and-democracy/Privacy-notices/Privacy-notice.aspx.

SBEN’s privacy policy may be viewed at https://sben.co.uk/privacy-policy/.

Specifically relating to the West Yorkshire Combined Authority Carbon Tracker (also referred to as Carbon Calculator)

When individuals and companies complete the Carbon Calculator they submit their information on an online form. Any personal or company information provided is used by EQM CIC only for the purposes of calculating a carbon footprint.

Information submitted will be shared with West Yorkshire Combined Authority, who are the proprietors of the Carbon Calculator. They will use the information provided firstly for assessing an organisations eligibility to use the Carbon Calculator, secondly anonymised and aggregated data will be used for internal monitoring and reporting relating to West Yorkshire businesses carbon reduction activities. Anonymised and aggregated data may also be used in the promotion of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority Carbon Calculator.

Information may be used for closely related purposes for example signposting users of the Carbon Calculator to appropriate grant funding or to offer environment-focused business support.

West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s privacy notice may be viewed at https://www.westyorks-ca.gov.uk/footer/privacy-notice-and-cookie-policy/.

Security and performance

When individuals and businesses input information online this information is stored securely on the EQM web servers which are hosted by a third party service. This service helps to maintain the security and performance of the EQM website and associated tools. To deliver this service it processes the IP addresses of visitors to the EQM CIC websites.

Under the Data Protection Act 1998, you have rights as an individual which you can exercise in relation to the information we hold about you.

Access to personal information

EQM CIC tries to be as open as it can be in terms of giving people access to their personal information. Individuals can find out if we hold any personal information by making a request under the Data Protection Act 1998. If we do hold information about you we will:

give you a description of it;
tell you why we are holding it;
tell you who it could be disclosed to; and
let you have a copy of the information in an intelligible form.

To make a request to the EQM CIC for any personal information we may hold you need to put the request in writing to the address provided below.

If you agree, we will try to deal with your request informally, for example by providing you with the specific information you need over the telephone.

If we do hold information about you, you can ask us to correct any mistakes by, once again, writing to us.

Links to other websites

This privacy notice does not cover the links within this site linking to other websites. We encourage you to read the privacy statements on the other websites you visit.

Changes to this privacy notice

We review our privacy notice periodically and as required. This privacy notice was last updated on 9^th September 2023.

Resources & Further Information

How to contact us

If you want to request information about our privacy policy, you can email us on

faith.johnson@eqm.org.uk or write to:

EQM CIC
Ivy House Farm
Elton
Matlock
Derbyshire
DE4 2BX