Cleaner Production and Resource Efficiency Training Course

Duration 10 days 20 modules · 65 contact hours
Level Intermediate Certificate on completion
Who attends Environmental Managers, Sustainability Managers and others
Fee from USD 2,200 KSh 190,000 for Kenyan organisations
Where 52 cities + online See dates by city
Next start 16 Nov 2026 Course code SD-EM-087

Before you join: Participants should have basic familiarity with their organisation's operations, utilities, environmental obligations or production data.

Dates & prices

Two start dates a month in every city, and live online on weekdays or weekends. Fees are per participant; classroom fees include tuition, materials, lunch and refreshments, and the certificate.

Suggest a date or city

Showing the next six months. Later dates, other cities and private deliveries for your team are available on request.

Course overview

Cleaner production and resource efficiency work turns environmental obligations into measurable operating improvements. Many facilities still manage energy, water, materials, waste and emissions as separate issues, using incomplete data and end-of-pipe controls. This creates avoidable cost, compliance exposure, production losses and weak evidence for investment decisions. Environmental and operational teams need a disciplined way to find loss points, quantify their full cost, select feasible interventions and verify results.

This course teaches a structured cleaner production and resource efficiency approach from initial site assessment through implementation planning. Participants use process mapping, mass and energy balances, material flow cost accounting, water balances, waste hierarchy analysis, life-cycle thinking, energy reviews and environmental performance indicators. They learn to identify non-product output, screen improvement options, assess technical and financial feasibility, prepare investment cases, set targets and embed controls within an environmental management system.

Instructor-led sessions combine concise technical briefings with sector-based case work, group analysis, calculation practice, facilitated discussions and individual application planning. Examples cover manufacturing, food processing, mining, healthcare, commercial buildings and public services. Participants build work from the first week, using their own facility or a supplied case where site data cannot be shared. They leave with a cleaner production assessment and implementation proposal containing a baseline, prioritised opportunities, financial rationale, action plan, KPI framework and management presentation.

The course is suited to environmental, sustainability, engineering, operations, facilities, procurement and compliance professionals who contribute to resource performance or environmental improvement projects. It is particularly useful for teams seeking to connect environmental objectives with operating cost, reliability and production performance.

What you will be able to do

  • Map material, energy, water and waste flows using process maps and balance diagrams
  • Establish a resource-efficiency baseline from utility, production, waste and purchasing records
  • Apply material flow cost accounting to quantify non-product output and loss costs
  • Identify cleaner production opportunities using root-cause analysis, Pareto analysis and site observations
  • Evaluate energy, water, materials and waste options using technical and environmental criteria
  • Prepare financial cases using simple payback, NPV, IRR and life-cycle costing
  • Design KPIs, verification protocols and operational controls for sustained resource savings
  • Present a complete cleaner production assessment and implementation proposal to management

Benefits of attending

For you

  • Build credible resource-efficiency proposals supported by operational and financial evidence
  • Diagnose hidden material losses and non-product costs within facility processes
  • Apply recognised methods to energy, water, waste and emissions improvement projects
  • Present environmental investments in terms understood by operations and finance leaders
  • Gain reusable templates for site assessments, opportunity screening and performance reporting

For your organisation

  • Reduced material, energy, water and waste-disposal costs through targeted interventions
  • Better evidence for capital requests and resource-efficiency investment decisions
  • Stronger environmental controls linked to ISO 14001 objectives and operational procedures
  • Verified savings through defined baselines, KPIs and measurement protocols
  • Prioritised improvement portfolio balancing quick wins with longer-term projects

Course modules

20 modules over 10 days

Participants can explain cleaner production principles and define the scope of a resource-efficiency assessment.

  • Cleaner production principles versus end-of-pipe pollution control approaches
  • Resource efficiency links among materials, energy, water and emissions
  • UNEP RECP cycle: plan, assess, implement, monitor and sustain
  • Business case drivers: cost, compliance, resilience and market access
  • Source reduction hierarchy before recycling, treatment and disposal decisions
  • System boundaries for facilities, processes, products and value chains

Participants can map a process to locate resource inputs, outputs, losses and control points.

  • Process maps showing inputs, outputs, losses and control points
  • SIPOC diagrams defining suppliers, inputs, process steps, outputs and customers
  • Value stream mapping to locate material delays and rework
  • Mass balance equations for unit operations and production lines
  • Utility flow diagrams for electricity, steam, compressed air and water
  • Data-quality checks: completeness, accuracy, consistency, timeliness and traceability

Participants can create a defensible resource baseline from operational and environmental records.

  • Structured walk-through inspections using observation sheets and operator interviews
  • Meter registers, invoices and production records reconciled into baseline data
  • Sampling plans for variable waste streams and intermittent discharges
  • Measurement uncertainty documented through calibration records and data ranges
  • Production-normalised indicators using output, operating hours and throughput
  • Baseline register assigning owners, sources, frequencies and verification rules

Participants can quantify material losses and their associated costs using material flow cost accounting.

  • ISO 14051 material flow cost accounting principles and terminology
  • Physical flow model separating products, by-products, waste and emissions
  • Material loss costs combining purchase, processing, energy and disposal
  • Quantity centres and flow boundaries aligned with process maps
  • Cost allocation rules for shared utilities and common wastes
  • MFCA loss statements identifying high-cost non-product output streams

Participants can identify, quantify and prioritise energy-efficiency opportunities within facility operations.

  • Energy review following ISO 50001 significant energy use principles
  • Load profiles built from interval data, shifts and production volumes
  • Specific energy consumption calculated per tonne, unit or operating hour
  • Pareto analysis ranking energy users by consumption and controllability
  • Compressed-air leak surveys and pressure optimisation opportunities
  • Boiler, motor and lighting efficiency measures screened systematically

Participants can develop water-balance-based options for reducing water demand and wastewater loads.

  • Water balance diagrams tracing abstraction, use, recirculation, discharge and losses
  • Water quality parameters matched to reuse and treatment requirements
  • Pinch analysis concepts for water reuse and regeneration networks
  • ISO 14046 water footprint boundaries, inventory and impact interpretation
  • Cooling, cleaning and sanitation demand reduction measures
  • Effluent load calculations using flow, concentration and pollutant mass

Participants can reduce material loss through specification, purchasing and inventory control improvements.

  • Procurement specifications reducing material toxicity, scrap and excessive packaging
  • Yield analysis linking input material, good product and reject quantities
  • Inventory control methods reducing expiry, damage and obsolete stock
  • Substitution screening for hazardous inputs, recycled content and durability
  • Packaging redesign criteria covering protection, weight, reuse and recyclability
  • Supplier engagement questions on composition, traceability and take-back arrangements

Participants can assess waste prevention, reuse, recycling and recovery options using the waste hierarchy.

  • Waste hierarchy decisions: prevent, reduce, reuse, recycle, recover, dispose
  • Segregation systems based on compatibility, contamination risk and destination
  • By-product valorisation assessed through specification, volume and market demand
  • Industrial symbiosis opportunities matching residual streams with local users
  • Waste contractor due diligence covering permits, manifests and final destinations
  • Landfill diversion indicators calculated by mass, cost and recovery route

Participants can connect resource use with air emissions, greenhouse gases and environmental aspects.

  • Air emission inventories covering point sources, fugitives and mobile equipment
  • GHG Protocol Scope 1 and 2 emissions calculations
  • Scope 3 screening for purchased materials, transport and waste treatment
  • Emission factors, activity data and calculation assumptions documented transparently
  • Abatement options compared by pollutant reduction, cost and operating impacts
  • Environmental aspect registers linking emissions, controls and significant impacts

Participants can use life-cycle thinking to avoid shifting environmental burdens between stages.

  • ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 life cycle assessment phases
  • Functional units and reference flows selected for fair comparisons
  • Cradle-to-gate and cradle-to-grave system boundary choices
  • Hotspot analysis identifying dominant life-cycle materials, energy and emissions
  • Allocation choices for co-products, recycling and recovered energy
  • Eco-design decisions informed by life-cycle trade-off assessment

Participants can generate a structured register of cleaner production opportunities and underlying causes.

  • Opportunity registers capturing source, cause, option, benefit and owner
  • Root-cause analysis using five whys and fishbone diagrams
  • Pareto charts prioritising losses by cost, mass and environmental impact
  • Good housekeeping measures distinguished from capital improvement projects
  • Best available techniques screened against site constraints and performance
  • Quick-win criteria balancing payback, risk, disruption and controllability

Participants can test improvement options for technical feasibility, operational risk and environmental trade-offs.

  • Option sheets defining process change, utilities, materials and control requirements
  • Mass and energy balances estimating projected savings credibly
  • Pilot trial protocols specifying baseline, variables, acceptance criteria and records
  • Failure mode and effects analysis for implementation risks
  • Maintenance implications assessed for reliability, spares and operator capability
  • Environmental trade-offs checked before approving substitution or recovery options

Participants can prepare financially credible cases for cleaner production investments.

  • Simple payback, NPV and IRR calculated for improvement proposals
  • Life-cycle costing includes acquisition, operation, maintenance and end-of-life costs
  • Cost of waste quantified from purchase through disposal
  • Capital expenditure requests supported by assumptions and sensitivity analysis
  • Financial benefits separated into cash savings, cost avoidance and revenue
  • Measurement plans distinguish forecast benefits from verified results

Participants can rank improvement options and prepare an implementation portfolio for management approval.

  • Multi-criteria decision analysis weights cost, impact, feasibility and risk
  • Marginal abatement cost curves compare emissions reduction options
  • Prioritisation matrices rank opportunities using agreed scoring rules
  • Implementation sequencing considers shutdown windows, permits and procurement lead times
  • Portfolio balance combines quick wins, medium projects and strategic investments
  • Management review packs present recommendations, evidence and decision requests

Participants can embed resource-efficiency actions within environmental management system controls and reviews.

  • ISO 14001 aspects and impacts linked to resource efficiency objectives
  • Operational controls define setpoints, inspections, responsibilities and escalation actions
  • Legal registers identify discharge, waste, energy and product obligations
  • Documented procedures integrate resource controls into standard operating instructions
  • Internal audit questions test conformance, implementation and effectiveness
  • Corrective action records address recurring losses and control failures

Participants can create a measurement system that tracks, verifies and reports resource-performance results.

  • Resource efficiency KPIs specify numerator, denominator, boundary and data owner
  • Leading indicators track inspections, leaks repaired and operator observations
  • Control charts distinguish normal variation from special-cause process changes
  • Monthly dashboards compare actual performance against baseline and target
  • Verification protocols confirm savings after production mix adjustments
  • Management review triggers respond to adverse trends and missed targets

Participants can plan implementation responsibilities, operating changes and workforce engagement activities.

  • Stakeholder mapping identifies decision-makers, operators, contractors and affected communities
  • RACI matrices assign approval, delivery, consultation and information duties
  • Competence matrices define training needs for new operating controls
  • Standard work documents embed checks into routine shifts
  • Communication plans address benefits, concerns, feedback channels and milestones
  • Recognition mechanisms reinforce reported improvements and sustained good practices

Participants can adapt cleaner production methods to common sector-specific resource challenges.

  • Manufacturing cases: yield losses, solvent recovery and process heat reduction
  • Food processing cases: water reuse, cleaning optimisation and organic residues
  • Mining cases: ore recovery, tailings water and diesel consumption
  • Healthcare cases: waste segregation, sterilisation energy and procurement specifications
  • Commercial buildings cases: HVAC controls, fixtures and occupant demand
  • Public-sector cases: fleet fuel, paper use and municipal services

Participants can structure a site assessment, data plan and improvement roadmap for their organisation.

  • Site assessment charter defining scope, sponsor, team and decision criteria
  • Data collection schedule assigns meters, records, samples and accountable owners
  • Improvement roadmap sequences actions, budgets, dependencies and approval gates
  • Target statements specify baseline, metric, timeframe and verification method
  • Risk register captures operational, financial, environmental and stakeholder risks
  • Board-ready proposal structure: problem, evidence, option, value and request

Participants can build, review and present a complete cleaner production assessment and implementation proposal.

  • Integrated baseline combines process maps, balances, costs and environmental indicators
  • Priority opportunity portfolio applies technical, financial and risk evaluation criteria
  • Implementation plan defines milestones, responsibilities, resources and operational controls
  • Measurement and verification plan specifies KPIs, baselines and reporting cadence
  • Management presentation communicates recommendations, trade-offs, savings and decisions required
  • Peer review tests assumptions, evidence quality and implementation readiness

Exercises and examples are adapted to each cohort's sectors and roles.

What you take back to work

  1. Cleaner production site-assessment template
  2. Resource baseline and material-flow model
  3. Material flow cost accounting worksheet
  4. Opportunity screening and prioritisation matrix
  5. Resource-efficiency investment case template
  6. Implementation, KPI and verification plan

Who should attend

  • Environmental Managers — need measurable programmes that reduce impacts and operating losses
  • Sustainability Managers — need credible resource targets, project pipelines and performance evidence
  • Process Engineers — need methods to improve yield, utilities and process control
  • Facilities and Energy Managers — need to identify and verify energy and water savings
  • Operations Managers — need practical improvements that protect throughput, quality and compliance
  • EHS and Compliance Officers — need stronger aspect controls, records and environmental reporting

Skills and tools covered

Resource flow analysisMaterial flow costingEnergy efficiency assessmentWater balance analysisEnvironmental investment appraisalResource performance reporting

Tools and standards

UNEP Resource Efficient and Cleaner Production methodology, ISO 14001 Environmental Management Systems, ISO 14051 Material Flow Cost Accounting, ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 Life Cycle Assessment

How the course runs

Training methodology

The course uses short instructor briefings followed by guided case analysis, group exercises, calculation practice, site-assessment simulations and application planning. Participants work with process maps, utility records, waste data, production figures and investment assumptions drawn from realistic facility scenarios. Trainers facilitate comparison of options, challenge assumptions and connect environmental performance with cost, quality, reliability and compliance. Individual work periods allow participants to develop a cleaner production proposal relevant to their own organisation or a supplied case.

Requirements and prerequisites

Participants should have basic familiarity with their organisation's operations, utilities, environmental obligations or production data. Experience in environmental management, engineering, facilities, operations, maintenance, quality, procurement or sustainability is useful. Participants should be comfortable reading simple tables, utility bills and operational records, and carrying out basic percentage and cost calculations. Prior knowledge of ISO standards, life-cycle assessment, accounting methods or specialist engineering calculations is not required. No software coding, advanced statistics or prior cleaner production project experience is assumed.

A typical training day

08:30 – 10:30First session
10:30 – 10:45Refreshment break
10:45 – 12:30Second session
12:30 – 13:30Lunch and networking
13:30 – 15:00Third session
15:00 – 15:15Refreshment break
15:15 – 16:30Workshop and daily review

Live online deliveries follow the same structure in East Africa Time, with shorter screen blocks and longer breaks.

What the fee includes

  • Instruction by a practitioner facilitator
  • Full course workbook and materials
  • Exercise files, templates and case studies
  • Refreshments and lunch on classroom deliveries
  • Certificate of completion
  • Post-course application plan

Frequently asked questions

Participants need basic familiarity with operations, environmental management, facilities, engineering or sustainability work. Prior knowledge of ISO standards, life-cycle assessment or specialist engineering calculations is not required.

Bring a laptop if possible and any non-confidential utility, production, waste or environmental data you can use for application planning. Participants without access to site data can work from the supplied sector cases.

It is designed for environmental, sustainability, engineering, operations, facilities, procurement, maintenance and compliance professionals. It also suits cross-functional teams responsible for cost reduction and environmental performance projects.

ISO 14001 training concentrates on environmental management system requirements, while energy management training concentrates mainly on energy performance. This course addresses materials, energy, water, waste, emissions, financial evaluation and project implementation together.

You can use the site-assessment template to map a priority process, establish a baseline and identify high-cost losses. The resulting opportunity register, investment case and KPI plan can support a management review or improvement project.

Training runs from 08:30 to 16:30 each day, providing about 6.5 contact hours daily. The first week builds assessment and analysis methods, while the second week focuses on option evaluation, management systems, implementation planning and the capstone proposal.

Questions about this course?

Ask about dates, fees, group bookings or running it for your team. Our training team replies by email.

Ask on WhatsApp info@skillsetdevelopment.com

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