ISO in brief
ISO is the International Organization for Standardization. ISO has a member-
ship of some 160* national standards bodies from countries large and small,
* In June 2011
industrialized, developing and in transition, in all regions of the world. ISO’s
portfolio of over 18 600* standards provides business, government and soci-
ety with practical tools for all three dimensions of sustainable development :
economic, environmental and social.
ISO standards make a positive contribution to the world we live in. They facili-
tate trade, spread knowledge, disseminate innovative advances in technol-
ogy, and share good management and conformity assessment practices.
ISO standards provide solutions and achieve benefits for almost all sectors
of activity, including agriculture, construction, mechanical engineering, man-
ufacturing, distribution, transport, medical devices, information and com-
munication technologies, the environment, energy, quality management,
conformity assessment and services.
ISO only develops standards for which there is a clear market requirement.
The work is carried out by experts in the subject drawn directly from the in-
dustrial, technical and business sectors that have identified the need for the
standard, and which subsequently put the standard to use. These experts
may be joined by others with relevant knowledge, such as representatives of
government agencies, testing laboratories, consumer associations and aca-
demia, and by international governmental and nongovernmental organiza-
tions.
An ISO International Standard represents a global consensus on the state of
the art in the subject of that standard.
ISO 50001 — What is it ?
ISO 50001:2011, Energy management systems - Requirements with guidance for use, is a voluntary International Standard developed by ISO (International Organization for Standardization).
ISO 50001 gives organizations the requirements for energy management sys-
tems (EnMS).
ISO 50001 provides benefits for organizations large and small, in both public
and private sectors, in manufacturing and services, in all regions of the world.
ISO 50001 will establish a framework for industrial plants ; commercial, institu-
tional, and governmental facilities ; and entire organizations to manage energy.
Targeting broad applicability across national economic sectors, it is estimated
that the standard could influence up to 60 % of the world’s energy use.*
ISO 50001
energy management
* This estimate is based on informa-
tion provided in the section, “ World Energy Demand and Economic
Outlook ”, in the International Energy
Outlook 2010, published by the US
Energy Information Administration.
This cites 2007 figures on global en-
ergy consumption by sector, including
7 % by the commercial sector (defined
as businesses, institutions, and
organizations that provide services), and 51 % by the industrial sector
(including manufacturing, agriculture, mining, and construction). As ISO
50001 is primarily targeted at the
commercial and industrial sectors,
adding the above figures provides an
approximate total of 60 % of global
energy demand on which the stand-
ard could have a positive impact.
1 ISO 50001 — Why is it important ?
Energy is critical to organizational operations and can be a major cost to or-
ganizations, whatever their activities. An idea can be gained by considering
the use of energy through the supply chain of a business, from raw materials
through to recycling.
In addition to the economic costs of energy to an organization, energy can im-
pose environmental and societal costs by depleting resources and contributing
to problems such as climate change.
The development and deployment of technologies for new energy sources and renewable sources can take time.
Individual organizations cannot control energy prices, government policies or
the global economy, but they can improve the way they manage energy in the
here and now. Improved energy performance can provide rapid benefits for an
organization by maximizing the use of its energy sources and energy-related
assets, thus reducing both energy cost and consumption. The organization will
also make positive contributions toward reducing depletion of energy resources
and mitigating worldwide effects of energy use, such as global warming.
ISO 50001 is based on the management system model that is already under-
stood and implemented by organizations worldwide. It can make a positive dif-
ference for organizations of all types in the very near future, while supporting
longer term efforts for improved energy technologies.
2 ISO 50001 — What will it do ?
ISO 50001 will provide public and private sector organizations with manage-
ment strategies to increase energy efficiency, reduce costs and improve en-
ergy performance.
The standard is intended to provide organizations with a recognized frame-
work for integrating energy performance into their management practices.
Multinational organizations will have access to a single, harmonized stand-
ard for implementation across the organization with a logical and consistent
methodology for identifying and implementing improvements.
The standard is intended to accomplish the following :
• Assist organizations in making better use of their existing energy-
consuming assets
• Create transparency and facilitate communication on the management
of energy resources
• Promote energy management best practices and reinforce good energy
management behaviours
• Assist facilities in evaluating and prioritizing the implementation of new
energy-efficient technologies
• Provide a framework for promoting energy efficiency throughout the
supply chain
• Facilitate energy management improvements for greenhouse gas
emission reduction projects
• Allow integration with other organizational management systems such as
environmental, and health and safety.
3 ISO 50001 — How does it work ?
ISO 50001 is based on the ISO management system model familiar to more
than a million organizations worldwide who implement standards such as
ISO 9001 (quality management), ISO 14001 (environmental management),
ISO 22000 (food safety), ISO/IEC 27001 (information security).
In particular, ISO 50001 follows the Plan-Do-Check-Act process for continual
improvement of the energy management system.
These characteristics enable organizations to integrate energy management
now with their overall efforts to improve quality, environmental management
and other challenges addressed by their management systems.
ISO 50001 provides a framework of requirements enabling organizations to :
• Develop a policy for more efficient use of energy
• Fix targets and objectives to meet the policy
• Use data to better understand and make decisions concerning energy
use and consumption
• Measure the results
• Review the effectiveness of the policy
• Continually improve energy management.
ISO 50001 can be implemented individually or integrated with other manage-
ment system standards.
4 ISO 50001 — Who can it benefit ?
Like all ISO management system standards, ISO 50001 has been designed
for implementation by any organization, whatever its size or activities, wheth-
er in public or private sectors, regardless of its geographical location.
ISO 50001 does not fix targets for improving energy performance. This is up
to the user organization, or to regulatory authorities. This means than any
organization, regardless of its current mastery of energy management, can
implement ISO 50001 to establish a baseline and then improve on this at a
rhythm appropriate to its context and capacities.
ISO 50001 — To certify or not ?
Like all ISO management system standards, ISO 50001 can be implemented
solely for the internal and external benefits it provides the user organizations
and the latter’s stakeholders and customers. Certification by an independent
auditor of conformity of the user’s energy management system to ISO 50001
is not a requirement of the standard itself. To certify or not is a decision to be
taken by the ISO 50001 user, unless imposed by regulation.
Alternatives to independent (third party) certification are to invite the organi-
zation’s customers to verify its implementation of ISO 50001 in conformity
with the standard (second party verification), or to self-declare its conformity.
5.ISO 50001 — What’s in the standard ?
The content of ISO 50001 is structured as follows :
Foreword
Introduction (extract from ISO 50001)
“ The purpose of this International Standard is to enable organizations to
establish the systems and processes necessary to improve energy perfor-
mance, including energy efficiency, use, and consumption. Implementation of
this standard is intended to lead to reductions in greenhouse gas emissions,
energy cost, and other related environmental impacts, through systematic
management of energy. This International Standard is applicable to all types
and sizes of organizations irrespective of geographical, cultural or social con-
ditions. Successful implementation depends on commitment from all levels
and functions of the organization, and especially from top management.
“ This International Standard specifies requirements of an energy manage-
ment system (EnMS) for an organization to develop and implement an energy
policy, establish objectives, targets, and action plans, which take into ac-
count legal requirements and information related to significant energy use.
An EnMS enables an organization to achieve its policy commitments, take
action as needed to improve its energy performance and demonstrate the
conformity of the system to the requirements of this International Standard.
Application of this International Standard can be tailored to fit the require-
ments of an organization — including the complexity of the system, degree
of documentation, and resources — and applies to the activities under the
control of the organization.
“ This International Standard is based on the Plan-Do-Check-Act continual
improvement framework and incorporates energy management into everyday
organizational practices.
6“ NOTE : This approach can be briefly described as follows.
►►Plan : conduct the energy review and establish the baseline, energy per-
formance indicators (EnPIs), objectives, targets and action plans neces-
sary to deliver results in accordance with opportunities to improve energy
performance and the organization’s energy policy.
►►Do : implement the energy management action plans.
►►Check : monitor and measure processes and the key characteristics of its
operations that determine energy performance against the energy policy
and objectives and report the results.
►►Act : take actions to continually improve energy performance and
the EnMS.
The basis of this approach is shown in Figure 1. (next page)
7 Continual
improvement
Energy policy
Management
review
Internal audit
of the EnMS
Energy planning
Implementation
and operation
Monitoring
measurement and
Checking analysis
Nonconformities,
correction, corrective
and preventive action
Figure 1 : Energy management system model.
8“ Worldwide application of this International Standard contributes to more
efficient use of available energy sources, enhanced competitiveness, and
to reduce greenhouse gases emissions and other related environmental im-
pacts. This International Standard is applicable irrespective of the types of
energy used.
“ This International Standard can be used for certification, registration and
self-declaration of an organization’s EnMS. It does not establish absolute
requirements for energy performance beyond the commitments in the energy
policy of the organization and its obligation to comply with applicable legal
requirements and other requirements. Thus, two organizations carrying out
similar operations, but having different energy performance, can both con-
form to its requirements.
“ The document is based on the common elements found in all of ISO’s man-
agement system standards, ensuring a high level of compatibility with ISO
9001 (quality management) and ISO 14001 (environmental management).
The organization can choose to integrate ISO 50001 with other management
systems such as quality, environment, occupational health and safety, and
other.”
1 Scope
2 Normative references
3 Terms and definitions
4 Energy management system requirements
4.1 General requirements
4.2 Management responsibility
4.2.1 Top management
4.2.2 Management representative
4.3 Energy policy
4.4 Energy planning
4.4.1 General
4.4.2 Legal and other requirements
9
4.4.3 Energy review
4.4.4 Energy baseline
4.4.5 Energy performance indicators
4.4.6 Energy objectives, energy targets and energy management
action plans
4.5 Implementation and operation
4.5.1 General
4.5.2 Competence, training and awareness
4.5.3 Communication
4.5.4 Documentation
4.5.5 Operational control
4.5.6 Design
4.5.7 Procurement of energy services, products, equipment
and energy
4.6 Checking
4.6.1 Monitoring, measurement and analysis
4.6.2 Evaluation of legal requirements and other requirements
4.6.3 Internal audit of the EnMS
4.6.4 Nonconformities, correction, corrective, and preventive action
4.6.5 Control of records
4.7 Management review
4.7.1 General
4.7.2 Input to management review
4.7.3 Output from management review
In addition, ISO 50001 includes informative annexes giving guidance on how
to implement the above requirements and a table comparing the require-
ments of ISO 50001 with other ISO management system standards.
ISO 50001 — How was it developed ?
The request to ISO to develop an international energy management standard
came from the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)
which had recognized industry’s need to mount an effective response to cli-
mate change and to the proliferation of national energy management stand-
ards.
ISO, in turn, had identified energy management as one of the top five fields
for the development of International Standards and, in 2008, created a pro-
ject committee, ISO/PC 242, Energy management, to carry out the work.
ISO/PC 242 was led by ISO members for the United States (American Nation-
al Standards Institute - ANSI) and Brazil (Associação Brasileira de Normas
Técnicas - ABNT).
Experts from the national standards bodies of 44 ISO member countries par-
ticipated within ISO/PC 242 in the development of ISO 50001, with another
14 countries as observers. The standard also benefitted from the participa-
tion of development organizations including UNIDO and the World Energy
Council (WEC).
ISO 50001 has been able to draw on numerous national or regional energy
management standards, specifications and regulations, including ones de-
veloped in China, Denmark, Ireland, Japan, Republic of Korea, Netherlands,
Sweden, Thailand, the USA and the European Union.
Resources
• ISO’s Website www.iso.org
(in English and French, with top levels in Russian and individual
publications in other languages) The “ Hot topics ” section includes
“ Energy ”, “ Climate change” and “ Sustainable development ”
• ISO Focus+ magazine www.iso.org/iso/isofocus+
(10 editions annually in English and French)
• ISO videos www.youtube.com/PlanetISO
• ISO Café www.iso.org/isocafe
Follow us on Twitter ! www.twitter.com/isostandards
Join us on Facebook ! www.facebook.com/isostandards
Contact the ISO member in your country : www.iso.org/isomembers
International Organization for Standardization
ISO Central Secretariat
1, chemin de la Voie Creuse Case Postale 56
CH - 1211 Genève 20
Switzerland © ISO 2011-06/3 000
central@iso.org All rights reserved
www.iso.org ISBN 978-92-67-10552-9
“ NOTE : This approach can be briefly described as
follows.
►►Plan :
conduct the energy review and establish the baseline, energy per-
formance
indicators (EnPIs), objectives, targets and action plans neces-
sary
to deliver results in accordance with opportunities to improve energy
performance and the organization’s
energy policy.
►►Do : implement
the energy management action plans.
►►Check :
monitor and measure processes and the key characteristics of its
operations
that determine energy performance against the energy policy
and
objectives and report the results.
►►Act : take actions to continually improve energy performance and
the
EnMS.
The basis of this approach is shown in Figure 1. (next page)
7
