Public Views on the Transition to a Low-Carbon Future: Privacy Notice
In compliance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), there are certain things that NatCen needs to let you know about how your information will be handled as part of this research. In this privacy notice, we explain the legal reason for data processing, what personal data we will collect, who will have access to your personal data, how your data will be used, when it will be deleted, and who you can contact about a query and complaint.
The legal reason for handling data
The National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) is the processor for this project. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) is the data controller. As the data controller, DESNZ are responsible for deciding the purpose and legal reason for handling the data. This research is funded by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and delivered by NatCen. The legal reasons for processing the data are ‘consent’ as specified under Article 6 (1)(a) and (e) of the UK GDPR.
What personal data will be collected?
NatCen will collect data at different stages of this research. At all stages, you will be asked for your permission first.
If you are recruited to take part in this research, the NatCen recruitment team will collect your contact details and demographic data (such as your age) as well as any support needs. When you take part in the research, NatCen will also collect data about your views on the topics under discussion. This will consist of:
- audio recordings of the discussions which will be transcribed by our secure, automated software,
- written notes made by researchers during workshop discussions,
- responses to interactive tools used during the workshop, such as digital whiteboards as post-it notes,
- diary entries you make as part of the research.
NatCen will analyse these data to produce a report for the Government, but no names or identifying information will be included in the report or any other research output. NatCen will not share your contact details with third parties.
Who will be able to access my personal data?
The NatCen research team working on this project will have access to all data listed above in section 2, and the NatCen recruitment team working on this project will have access to the initial data collected when you are contacted.
While your contributions to the workshops will be treated confidentially and reported anonymously by the research team, the nature of group discussions means that contributions will not be completely anonymous to other participants. To mitigate against this to some extent, and to protect your privacy, we ask that participants do not include their surnames in their names on Zoom.
How will my data be treated and stored?
The data we collect will be used for research purposes only.
Your data will be stored securely in the UK in line with international best practice and NatCen’s certifications (ISO 27001, ISO 20252, and Cyber Essentials Plus). No data will be stored on servers outside the UK.
All personal data will be securely deleted within 6 months of the final project report being accepted (expected October 2026). Research outputs will be stored securely.
Can I withdraw consent to process my data?
You can withdraw consent for us to process this data at any point by contacting the research team at lowcarbonfuture@natcen.ac.uk. If you withdraw consent after taking part in the workshops, we will not include your diary entries in analysis. Transcriptions are anonymous so we will not be able to remove your contributions from the transcripts.
Who can I contact with a query or complaint?
If you have any questions about how your data will be used, please contact NatCen’s Head of Data Protection at dpo@natcen.ac.uk.
Under UK GDPR, you can complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office if your query is not satisfactorily addressed by us. Please go to www.ico.gov.uk for more information.