The National Cleaner Production Centre (NCPC) partners with international and local organisations and experts to develop training materials that equip engineering professionals with the specialist knowledge and skills to embed circular economy principles into industry. 

The NCPC, hosted by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and funded by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, is a national industry support programme that supports the transition of South Africa towards a green, circular and low-carbon economy. This is achieved through the application of Resource Efficient and Cleaner Production (RECP) principles.

The NCPC has a proven track record in designing and implementing structured RECP training and internship pro-grammes, aligned with inter-national best practices and endorsed by global partners such as the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation. 

Courses are offered by the NCPC in companies through in-house training, or by certified facilitators in associated consulting companies. These include an introductory course in energy management, as well as end user and expert level training in ISO 50001-aligned energy management systems, various energy systems optimisation, water management, waste management, carbon management and the foundational RECP course.  

First online self-learning course

In July 2025, the NCPC opened one of its most foundational training courses as an e-learning course on the CSIR Learning Factory platform. This theoretical course on RECP has been customised into a 24-hour self-paced learning experience, presented through short video lessons facilitated by NCPC trainers.

The RECP end-user course equips participants with RECP knowledge and tools that can be implemented at project level and aims to ensure that participants gain the latest industry practices and methodologies at their own pace and in a suitable environment. The NCPC and CSIR are offering the course free of charge for a limited time. Scan the QR code to access the link.

Critical skills for the future

Adaptive and relevant carbon management and sustainable energy skills will play a critical role if South Africa is to meet its decarbonisation commitments. The NCPC will continue to partner with industry forerunners to ensure that engineers and green economy practitioners are equipped to meet the challenges and embrace the opportunities of a greener future. Courses in clean hydrogen and renewable energy – including power quality, biogoas and waste heat recovery – present opportunities for practitioners and training providers, and the NCPC maintains an open door policy in exploring collaboration with educational institutions, professional bodies, industry associations and likeminded organisations.

For further information on the mandate and past success stories and achievements of the NCPC, please visit the website where numerous case studies are published. You may also reach out to ncpc@csir.co.za for further inquiries.