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The UK Emissions Trading Registry has two data controllers: The Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), and the Environment Agency.

DESNZ UK Emissions Trading Registry Privacy Notice

This notice sets out how we will use your personal data, and your rights. It is made under Articles 13 and/or 14 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

  1. Your Data

    We will process the following personal data:

    • First and Surname (middle name optional)
    • Home address
    • Date of birth
    • Email address (business or personal)
    • Contact information (business or personal)
    • Government issued Identification number (Passport, Driving license or Government ID number).

  2. Purpose

    The purposes for which we are processing your personal data are:

    • In order for the Registry Administrator or National Administrator to be satisfied that you are fit and proper to participate in the Registry.
    • UK ETS Evaluation research: to run a representative survey of ETS registry account holders as well as to invite registry account holders to take part in qualitative interview research. The purpose of this research is to gather information on the experiences and perspectives of ETS account holders in order to support the ongoing evaluation of the performance of the UK ETS by the UK ETS Authority. For this purpose only the following data will be processed:
      • First and Surname (middle name optional)
      • Email address (business or personal)
      • Contact information (business or personal)

  3. Legal basis of processing

    For the purpose of ensuring that you are fit and proper to participate in the Registry, the legal basis for processing your personal data under Article 6 of the UK GDPR is:

    1(c) Legal obligation: It is necessary to comply with a legal obligation placed on us as the data controller. Details are outlined in the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme 2020 Order and The Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme (Withdrawal Agreement) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 with regard to the UK Kyoto Protocol National registry.

    We have a legal basis for collecting details of offences/convictions (preceding 5 years) for the purposes of establishing if the individual is fit and proper to use the system. This information is subsequently destroyed.

    For the purpose of UK ETS evaluation research, the legal basis for processing your personal data under Article 6 of the UK GDPR is:

    1(e) Public task: processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller under the Environment Act 1995. In the case of UK ETS research the public task relates to collecting evidence to create a better evidence base for policy decision-making in DESNZ and other relevant government departments.

  4. Recipients

    Your personal data will be shared by us with the Environment Agency in its role as Registry Administrator or National Administrator. Details of the Environment Agency’s privacy policy will be provided via email to public beta users.

    For the purpose of evaluation research your personal data will be shared with CAG Consultants, which has been commissioned by DESNZ to conduct UK ETS evaluation research, and their subcontractor, GC Insight. DESNZ is the data controller of your personal data. CAG Consultants and GC Insight are the data processors.

    Please refer to the CAG Consultants Privacy Notice and the GC Insight Privacy Notice for further information on how they process data.

    As part of our IT infrastructure, your personal data will be stored in the UK on systems provided by our data processors Microsoft and Amazon Web Services.This does not mean we actively share your personal data with these entities; rather, they are technical service providers who host infrastructure supporting our IT systems.

  5. Retention

    Your personal data will be kept by us for a period of 5 years from the closure of the account to which you were associated in the UK Emissions Trading Scheme Registry and 15 years from the closure of the account to which you were associated in the UK Kyoto Protocol Registry.

    Data processed for survey and research sampling purposes will be retained for up to 3 months following the conclusion of the evaluation project in March 2026 and subsequently destroyed.

  6. International transfers

    Your personal data will only be processed in the UK.

  7. Your rights

    You have the right to request information about how your personal data are processed, and to request a copy of that personal data.

    You have the right to request that any inaccuracies in your personal data are rectified without delay.

    You have the right to request that any incomplete personal data are completed, including by means of a supplementary statement.

    You have the right in certain circumstances (for example, where accuracy is contested) to request that the processing of your personal data is restricted.

    You have the right to object to the processing of your personal data where it is processed for direct marketing purposes.

    You have the right to object to the processing in some circumstances such as where the data is processed under public task.

    To exercise your rights please contact the Data Protection Officer using the contact details below. 

  8. Contact details

    The data controller for your personal data is the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ). You can contact the DESNZ Data Protection Officer at:

    DESNZ Data Protection Officer
    The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
    3-8 Whitehall Place
    London
    SW1A 2EG
    Email: dataprotection@energysecurity.gov.uk

    If you are unhappy with the way we have handled your personal data, please write to the department’s Data Protection Officer in the first instance using the contact details above.

  9. Complaints

    If you consider that your personal data has been misused or mishandled, you may make a complaint to the Information Commissioner, who is an independent regulator. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at:

    Any complaint to the Information Commissioner is without prejudice to your right to seek redress through the courts.

  10. Updates to this notice

    If this privacy notice changes in any way, we will place an updated version on this page. Regularly reviewing this page ensures you are always aware of what information we collect, how we use it, and under what circumstances we will share it with other parties. The 'last updated' date at the bottom of this page will also change and the revision to the Privacy Notice will be recorded alongside the date of change. If these changes affect how your personal data is processed, we will take reasonable steps to let you know.

Date: 07/05/2025
Updated to include processing of data for the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) Evaluation project. Changes include:
  • updates to the purpose and lawful basis under which your data will be processed and who your data will be shared with.
  • change in Department from Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) to Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) following a Ministry of Government Change.

Environment Agency UK Emissions Trading Registry Privacy Notice

Updated 6 April 2021

The UK Emissions Trading Registry comprises the UK Emissions Trading Scheme Registry (UK ETS Registry) and UK Kyoto Protocol Registry (UK KP Registry).

The Environment Agency is the Registry Administrator of the UK ETS Registry, and the National Administrator of the UK KP Registry.

We are the data controller for the services we provide in relation to the UK Emissions Trading Registry. A data controller determines how and why personal information is processed.

Our personal information charter (https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/environment- agency/about/personal-information-charter) explains:

  • your rights
  • what we do with your personal information

We are allowed to process your personal information because we:

  • have official authority as the Registry Administrator and National Administrator in the UK Emissions Trading Registry
  • administer accounts in the UK Emissions Trading Registry

We will process your personal information so that we:

  • comply with our legal obligations for opening and administering accounts in the UK Emissions Trading Registry
  • maintain the security and accuracy of the UK Emissions Trading Registry

If you do not give us the information we ask for, you will not be able to:

  • open or maintain a fully functioning account in the UK Emissions Trading Registry
  • hold the position of Authorised Representative

Your Data

What personal information we collect

Personal information we collect includes:

  • your full name
  • your date of birth
  • your residential address
  • your contact details (including business contact details)
  • any criminal record

We collect this information about:

  • the account holder or prospective account holder
  • the primary contact and alternative primary contact (if appointed) for an account holder or prospective account holder
  • nominated or approved authorised representatives
  • beneficial owners and directors of the account holder

What we do with your personal information

We will use your personal information to:

  • open and administer your account
  • tell you about changes to law and policy, or decisions that may affect you or your account

We do not use your personal information to make an automated decision or for automated profiling.

We will not share or disclose your personal information to any other party without your consent unless we are lawfully able or required to do so.

We will not put your personal information on a public register unless the account holder is an individual. Where the account holder is an individual, we will only place the account holder’s name and business details on a public register.

How long we keep your personal information

As Registry Administrator of the UK ETS Registry, we keep your personal information for 5 years after the account with which you were associated was closed.

As National Administrator of the UK KP Registry, we keep your personal information for 15 years after the account with which you were associated was closed or until any issue relating to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change that affects the account has been resolved.

Where your personal information is stored and processed

The Environment Agency and the UK Emissions Trading Registry store and process your personal information on servers in the UK.

We will not transfer your personal information outside the UK.

Contact

Our Data Protection Team gives independent advice. They monitor how the Environment Agency uses your personal information.

If you have questions or concerns about how we process personal information, or to make a complaint or request relating to data protection, please contact the Data Protection Team by post or email:

You can also make a complaint (https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint) to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

The ICO is the supervisory authority for data protection legislation. The ICO website (https://ico.org.uk/your-data-matters) has a full list of your rights under data protection legislation.

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