Course description

A hands-on course to design and execute water footprint studies aligned with ISO 14046. We link business goals to robust goal-and-scope definition, including boundaries, functional units, and geographic/temporal resolution. You’ll build a water inventory that covers withdrawals, consumption, discharges, and quality parameters across life-cycle stages or site operations, and then apply impact assessment approaches that reflect basin-specific scarcity and degradation. We address data quality scoring, uncertainty and sensitivity analysis, allocation choices, and avoiding double counting. Results interpretation emphasizes hotspot identification, scenario comparison, prioritizing reduction options, and connecting findings to objectives, supplier engagement, and reporting. You’ll practice preparing decision-ready visuals and disclosures, as well as compiling evidence for audits and management reviews. The course includes templates for inventory data sheets, data-quality matrices, basin-context checklists, and improvement roadmaps, with Canadian/BC notes on watershed context, and reporting frameworks. Suitable for stand-alone studies or integration with ISO 14001, ecodesign initiatives, and ESG reporting.

What you’ll learn

• Translate ISO 14046 into a practical workflow

• Define goal/scope, boundaries, functional unit, and resolution

• Build water inventories (withdrawal, consumption, discharge, quality)

• Apply basin-relevant impact assessment and characterization factors

• Evaluate data quality; perform uncertainty/sensitivity checks

• Identify hotspots and compare scenarios for reduction

• Link results to objectives, suppliers, and disclosures

• Prepare audit-ready evidence and management review inputs

Who should attend

• Environmental/ESG managers and coordinators

• LCA practitioners and sustainability analysts

• Process, utilities, and operations engineers

• Product and packaging developers

• Compliance and reporting teams

Recommended

• Basic ISO 14001 awareness

• Introductory LCA/footprinting concepts

• Familiarity with site processes and water balances

• Comfort with spreadsheets and simple data analysis

• Awareness of local watershed/regulatory context