Privacy Policy

Effective Date: October 6, 2025

This Privacy Policy explains how Respire USA collects, uses, discloses and protects personal information in connection with the Respire USA website, the Eco-Quest public directory, assessment requests, corrections or disputes, and related communications (collectively, the “Site” and related services).

This Policy applies to personal information handled through the Site and related Respire communications. It does not make public any underlying assessment record or other information that Respire treats as non-public merely because information is submitted through the Site.

This Privacy Policy is the current digital source copy. Sections 6 and 7 are to be finalised to reflect the analytics, cookie and email technologies actually implemented at launch.

Respire collects personal information when a person chooses to provide it through the Site or communicates with Respire in connection with a request, inquiry, correction, dispute or assessment.

• Contact information, such as a name, email address, telephone number or organizational affiliation, when provided.
• Information submitted through the Contact pathway.

Information submitted through Request an Assessment, including the subject or question a requester wants Respire to examine and relevant entity, product, program, claim, credential, facility or jurisdiction information supplied by the requester.

Information submitted through Corrections / Disputes, including the public record or statement being challenged, the requested correction or clarification, the submitter's relationship to the matter, and supporting information.

• Communications and correspondence exchanged with Respire, including supporting evidence or documents that Respire may request or that a person elects to provide by email.

Technical information generated when a person uses the Site, to the extent collected by the website, hosting environment, security tools or other implemented technologies. This may include IP address, browser or device information, referring pages, timestamps, logs and similar technical data.

The launch Site does not require visitors to create public user accounts.

Respire does not currently provide a general website document-upload function for assessment requests or corrections/disputes. Supporting documents may be requested and exchanged separately, including by email.

Assessment requests, corrections, disputes and related communications may concern another person, organization, representative, professional contact or other third party.

If you provide personal information about another person, you should provide only information that is relevant to the matter being submitted and that you are permitted to provide. Respire may use that information to evaluate the request, verify evidence, communicate with relevant parties, conduct an accepted assessment, address a correction or dispute, or otherwise perform the work for which the information was supplied.

Respire may use personal information for purposes reasonably connected with operating the Site and carrying out its verification, assessment and directory functions.

• Responding to questions and communications.
• Reviewing assessment requests for scope, feasibility, timing, conflicts, cost where applicable and acceptance.
• Conducting accepted assessments and independent due diligence, including research, verification, evidence review, human review, reporting, monitoring and reassessment where applicable.
• Reviewing and resolving corrections or disputes concerning public Respire information.

Requesting, receiving and evaluating supporting information or evidence.

• Communicating with requesters, clients, assessed subjects or other relevant parties when appropriate.
• Administering professional engagements, including invoicing and business records.

Operating, maintaining, securing and improving the Site and related systems.

• Protecting Respire, Site users and others against fraud, misuse, security threats or unlawful activity.
• Complying with applicable law, legal process and legitimate regulatory or governmental requirements.

Establishing, exercising or defending legal rights.

• Information submitted to Respire is not automatically published merely because it was submitted through the Site or provided in connection with an assessment.

Respire's public directory uses controlled public information and, where approved, may include a Respire Verification Summary. The full underlying assessment is private by default unless Respire affirmatively determines otherwise in accordance with its applicable review and publication controls.

Personal information supplied in a request, correction, dispute or assessment may become relevant to Respire's research or findings. Any decision to include information in a public directory record or Verification Summary is separate from the act of submitting information and remains subject to Respire's review and publication process.

Nothing in this Privacy Policy requires Respire to treat information that is already lawfully public as confidential merely because a person also submits that information to Respire.

Respire does not sell personal information.

Respire may disclose personal information only as reasonably necessary to operate its business, provide requested or accepted services, protect its rights and systems, or comply with applicable law. This may include disclosure:

To service providers that support Respire's website hosting, email, security, information technology, data or document storage, analytics, or other operational functions, but only to the extent applicable to services actually used by Respire.

• To professional advisers, including attorneys, accountants, or other advisers, when reasonably necessary for them to provide professional services to Respire.

For assessment, verification, correction, or dispute purposes, when limited information must be shared with a relevant third party to verify information, obtain clarification, conduct accepted assessment work, or address a correction or dispute. Respire will not disclose the identity of an assessment requester, client, or other individual merely because Respire contacts a third party for verification. Such identifying information may be disclosed when necessary to perform the requested work, authorized by the individual, required under applicable engagement terms, or otherwise permitted or required by law.

• To governmental, regulatory, judicial, or law-enforcement authorities when required by applicable law or valid legal process, or when disclosure is otherwise legally permitted and appropriate.

In connection with a business transaction, such as a reorganization, financing, acquisition, merger, or transfer of all or part of Respire's business or assets, subject to applicable legal requirements and appropriate protections for personal information.

Respire does not disclose personal information for purposes unrelated to its operations, accepted work, or legal obligations simply because the information is in its possession

The Site may use cookies, server logs and similar technologies that are necessary for website operation, security, performance or functionality.

Respire has not adopted a specific public commitment in this draft regarding optional analytics, advertising pixels or comparable tracking technologies. The final Policy and any cookie or consent controls should reflect the technologies actually implemented on the Site at launch.

Respire may use contact information to respond to a person's inquiry, assessment request, correction or dispute and to communicate about an existing or proposed Respire engagement.

Respire is not describing a general newsletter or marketing-email program in this Policy because no such website subscription program has been implemented for launch. If Respire later introduces a newsletter, waitlist or marketing campaign, Respire should update its privacy disclosures and implement the appropriate subscription and opt-out process before using information for that purpose.

Respire does not currently process assessment payments through the public Site. Accepted professional work is handled through invoicing.

If Respire later implements online payment processing, the Privacy Policy should be updated to describe the payment provider and applicable information practices before that functionality is launched.

Respire retains personal information for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected and for legitimate operational, assessment, recordkeeping, security, dispute-resolution and legal needs.

Retention periods may differ depending on the type of information and its relationship to an assessment, client engagement, correction or dispute, business record, legal obligation or security record.

Respire may retain historical assessment and related records where preservation is necessary to maintain the integrity, traceability or history of Respire's assessment process, subject to applicable law and contractual obligations.

Respire uses reasonable administrative, technical and organizational measures appropriate to the nature of the information and the systems used to protect personal information against unauthorized access, loss, misuse, alteration or disclosure.

No website, email system, transmission method or storage system can be guaranteed to be completely secure. Users should avoid sending unnecessary sensitive personal information and should follow any secure-document instructions Respire provides for a particular engagement.

Depending on where a person resides and the law that applies, that person may have rights concerning personal information Respire maintains about them. These rights may include requesting access, correction or deletion, or obtaining information about how personal information is used or disclosed.

Respire will evaluate privacy requests in accordance with applicable law. Certain information may be retained or a request may be limited where an exception applies, including where information is needed for legal obligations, security, record integrity, establishment or defense of legal claims, or other purposes permitted by law.

Privacy requests may be submitted using the contact information identified in the final version of this Policy. Respire may take reasonable steps to verify the identity and authority of the person making a request before acting on it.

Respire does not sell personal information.

Respire does not operate the Site as a personal-data brokerage or advertising-data business.

The Site is not directed to children under 13, and Respire does not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 through the Site.

If Respire learns that personal information from a child under 13 has been collected through the Site in circumstances requiring deletion or parental authorization, Respire will take appropriate action consistent with applicable law.

The Site and Eco-Quest directory may link to websites and resources operated by third parties. Respire does not control the privacy practices of those third parties. A user who follows an external link should review the privacy practices of the applicable third party.

Respire may update this Privacy Policy as its Site, services, technology or legal obligations change. The effective date displayed with the Policy identifies the current version.

Where required by applicable law, Respire will provide any additional notice or obtain consent required for material changes.

Questions or requests concerning this Privacy Policy or Respire's handling of personal information may be submitted using the privacy contact information provided on the Respire USA website. info@respireusa.com.