Our policies

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Ethics

Research undertaken by the European Policies Research Centre complies with the University of Strathclyde’s Code of Practice on Investigations on Human Beings. This Code is designed to ensure that all research undertaken by University staff and students is carried out in an ethical manner. Specifically that:

  • research is designed and undertaken to ensure integrity and quality;
  • research subjects (e.g. interviewees) are informed fully about the purpose, methods and possible uses of the research and what their participation involves;
  • the confidentiality of information and participant anonymity is respected;
  • involvement of research participants is voluntary; and
  • research is independent, free of conflicts of interest or partiality.

Sustainability

EPRC has a sustainability policy which involves minimising CO2 emissions associated with travel, maximising energy efficiency, and ensuring environmentally friendly waste management.

Specifically, EPRC has the following objectives:

  • to minimise CO2 emissions associated with travel;
  • to maximise energy efficiency in the purchasing of goods and services and by reducing electricity consumption;
  • to maximise opportunities for waste management and recycling;
  • to engage with the University on sustainability issues beyond the control of EPRC.
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As EPRC’s research activities are undertaken throughout Europe, a key issue concerns travel, where EPRC takes the following steps:

  • Air travel is minimised as far as possible with, for example, rail travel being preferred;
  • Public transport is used in preference to car travel wherever possible;
  • Video-conferencing is used in preference to face-to-face meetings where practicable.
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As of 2013, contributions are made to carbon-offsetting projects to compensate for flights undertaken. These offsets are approved by the Climate, Community and Biodiversity Standards (CCBS) and Carbon Fix. The offsetting charge is calculated using the South Pole Carbon CO2 calculator. Each year, the EPRC offsetting charge equates to c. 25 tonnes of CO2.

EPRC chose reforestation projects in Africa and Asia, which combine climate, environmental and social benefits and serve as an example for sustainable development, e.g.:

  • a reforestation project providing local employment, Uganda (watch a video),
  • the Kariba REDD+ forest protection project, Zimbabwe
  • A 50-tonne CO2 emission reduction through Climate+ in Ethiopia
  • a rainforest reforestation project in the Malaysian part of Borneo.

Privacy

We have created this privacy statement in order to demonstrate our firm commitment to privacy. The following discloses the information gathering and dissemination practices for this Website.

Information automatically logged

We use your IP address to help diagnose problems with our server and to administer our Website. Your IP address is also used to gather broad demographic information. We also collect information with regard to referrers and exit points to help diagnose problems with our server and to administer our Website.

Cookies

A cookie is a small data file that certain websites write to your hard drive when you visit them. The only personal information a cookie can obtain is information a user supplies him or herself. A cookie cannot read data from your hard disk or read cookie files created by other sites. Cookies, however, enhance our web site performance in a number of ways, including providing a secure way for us to verify your identity during your visit to our website and personalising your experience on our site, making it more convenient for you.

This website uses cookies so that we can serve you better. This site uses:

  • Google Analytics Tracking: visitor software that uses cookies to track information about how visitors come to the website, which pages they visit, and other actions that visitors make whilst on the site. This data is then used in order to improve the user experience of the website. All user data collected in this manner is anonymous.
  • JSESSIONID: This cookie is automatically created when a session is in use on the site.

Should you wish to do so, you can refuse cookies by disabling them in your web browser’s settings, and you do not need to have cookies turned on to successfully use our service. Most browsers are defaulted to accept and maintain cookies and you can set your browser to notify you when you receive a cookie, giving you the chance to decide whether to accept it or not. Please consult the support documentation for your web browser, which can be found online, for more information.

Forms

Our Website has an email sign up form for customers and our third party booking provider collects contact information (like an email address), and demographic information (like a postal code) when bookings are made.

Users may opt-out of receiving future mailings from us or completely remove their details from our databases. Our email marketing enables subscribers the opportunity to opt-out of receiving email marketing from us.

External links

This site contains links to other sites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of such Websites.

Security

This site has security measures in place to protect the loss, misuse, and alteration of the information under our control.

If you have any questions about this privacy statement, the practices of this site, or your dealings with this Website, please contact Marie Devine.