The flagship International Standard for improving energy performance, ISO 50001, has been revised to ensure it is more effective to tackle the world’s energy challenges.
The 2011 version of the standard has been revised to adopt ISO’s requirements for management system standards including the high level structure, identical core text and common terms and definitions, known as Annex SL, to ensure a high level of compatibility with other management system standards. The introduction of the Annex SL structure is in line with all the new revised ISO standards including ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and recent ISO 45001, ensuring that ISO 50001 can be easily integrated with these standards.
ISO 50001:2018, Energy management systems – Requirements with guidance for use, transformed the energy performance of organizations worldwide when it was first published in 2011, giving them a strategic tool to use their energy more efficiently and effectively. The standard provides a framework for managing energy performance and addressing energy costs, while helping companies reduce their environmental impact to meet emissions reduction targets.
Roland Risser, Chair of the ISO technical committee that developed the standard, said the ISO 50001 revision features updated terms and definitions and greater clarification of certain energy performance concepts.
“There is a stronger emphasis on the role of top management as well, as it is important to instilling an organizational culture change,” Risser said.
“It is also now aligned with ISO’s requirements for management system standards, making it easier to integrate into an organization’s existing management systems.”
Certified organizations will have three years to migrate to the new standard.
ISO 50001 has become increasingly important since it was released seven years ago. More than 20,000 certificates to ISO 50001 were issued by the end of 2016—which represents an increase of 69 percent during that year—according to the ISO Survey.