Participant information
Before you decide to take part in this study it is important for you to understand why the research is being done and what it will involve.
Please take time to read the following information carefully and discuss it with others if you wish. If there is anything that is not clear or if you would like more information, please contact Kelly Sporn at Kelly.Sporn@arbormundi.co.uk or ks2043@cam.ac.uk. Take time to decide whether or not you wish to take part.
Arbor Mundi is the name of the site I use for research purposes. It is not a commercial site and no information you submit in the form will be published.
Purpose of study
This study seeks to examine how EU or UK regulatory policy can enable and encourage businesses to understand their role in addressing nature loss. In particular, I am interested in if or how businesses currently understand their relationship to nature and how effective current regulatory policy responses are to helping businesses in understanding that relationship.
This research as part of dissertation for a Master of Studies in Sustainability Leadership at the University of Cambridge, which degree I am undertaking and funding in my personal capacity.
Why have I been chosen?
You have been asked to participate as you:
● work in a services-related business and have a perspective on how your business addresses sustainability;
● work at an industry association which is focusing on EU or UK sustainability regulatory policy
● a technical expert in the scientific, economic or regulatory policy side of nature (including as part of a wider understanding of sustainability);
● are or have been a UK or EU policymaker with responsibility for sustainability.
What do I have to do?
If you agree to take part, I will interview you via a Teams meeting which will be recorded. You do not have to have any prior knowledge of or have a particular view of the topic; I am seeking a range of honestly held views.
The interview should take approximately 30-45 minutes.
It is not anticipated that the interviews will produce any unexpected or incidental findings.
Participants may request a debriefing on the results of the study once the dissertation has been assessed.
Do I have to take part?
Participation is entirely voluntary. You may discuss your potential participation with whomever you choose and you may ask any questions of me prior to consenting. You may withdraw your consent up until 31 March 2025 (see below). If you decide to refuse or withdraw as per the foregoing, there will be no penalty or loss to you and such decision will not affect your relationship with me or the University of Cambridge.
Are there any possible disadvantages and/or risks in taking part?
Apart from giving up your time, there is no expected risk, cost or disadvantage to taking part in this study.
Are there any possible benefits to taking part?
There are no intended benefits to you in taking part.
Will my taking part in this study be kept confidential?
The level of confidentiality is your choice, as set out in the confidentiality section of the consent form.
You may withdraw your consent or change what level of confidentiality you wish to apply at any time before 31 March 2025.
I will record the interview for the purpose of analysing your responses, but I will be the only person who will have access to these. I will retain these on a private laptop, and all data related to the study is retained on privately licenced software to which only I have access, and I will not distribute them onwards. The data yielded from the study may be used for future research undertaken in my personal capacity only (see below).
Withdrawal of consent
You may withdraw your consent, or change your level of confidentiality at any point up until midnight on 31 March 2025. After that point, the study will be substantially completed and it will not be possible to change how you are included.
If you choose to withdraw from the study before 31 March 2025, all written communications with you and any recordings will be deleted, and data related to you will be removed completely from the study.
If you choose to withdraw from the study after 31 March 2025, it will only be possible to remove data related to you up until the point of submission for assessment, expected to be end April 2025. Withdrawal may be effected in writing to me at Kelly.Sporn@arbormundi.co.uk or ks2043@cam.ac.uk.
What will happen to the results of the study?
The results of the study will be used for a dissertation which will be made available to the assessors at the University of Cambridge. The final dissertation will be filed with the CISL dissertation library and may subsequently be published in whole or in part. The results may be incorporated in any future research that I undertake in my personal capacity.
For further general information about the University of Cambridge’s use of your personal data as a participant in a research study, please see https://www.information-compliance.admin.cam.ac.uk/data-protection/research-participant-data.
Consent form
Please complete the following if you consent to participate. All information within the form below will be kept confidential. Your submission indicates your consent to participate, which you may withdraw in accordance with the above.