Energy ministers and high-level decision makers, together with technical experts and private-sector leaders, gathered in Beijing, China, for the CEM8 to discuss how to scale renewables, improve efficiency and cooperate on clean energy initiatives. A series of side events, forums and workshops were organized, including an International Workshop on Improving Green Consumption featuring the benefits of ISO 50001.
Developers responsible for ISO 50001 also met in Beijing at the annual meeting of ISO technical committee ISO/TC 301, Energy management and energy savings. One of the main outcomes of the plenary was the revision of ISO 50001, which after six years of existence is being updated to ensure it remains a useful tool for all types of businesses and organizations around the world.
Sufficient progress and consensus were achieved to enable the revision of ISO 50001 to move to a Draft International Standard, which is expected to be completed and released within three months. Publication of the new edition of ISO 50001 as an International Standard is currently planned for November/December 2018.
Deann Desai, Convenor of the working group revising the energy standard, commented on its improvements: “One of the main changes for the 2018 version is in the incorporation of the High-Level Structure which provides for improved compatibility with other management systems standards. There are other improvements in the 2018 version to help ensure that the key concepts related to energy performance are clear for small and mid-size businesses.”
Published in 2011, ISO 50001 transforms the way organizations manage their energy, offering companies a comprehensive approach to continually improve energy performance, sustainability and their bottom line. It has value both as a best-practice model and as a global benchmark for climate and clean energy action. In fact, nearly 12 000 organizations were already certified to the standard at the end of 2015 – up 77 % from the previous year.
CEM analysis shows that implementation of the ISO 50001 standard across the commercial and industrial sectors globally could drive cumulative energy savings of approximately 62 exajoules by 2030, sparing nearly USD 600 billion in energy costs and avoiding 6 500 million metric tonnes of CO2 emissions. The projected annual emissions savings are equivalent to removing 215 million passenger vehicles from the road.
Roland Risser, Chair of ISO/TC 301, Energy management and energy savings, explains: “ISO 50001 provides a scalable, cost-effective and continuous energy management pathway for organizations that might not have otherwise performed these improvements, and allows organizations to demonstrate and verify to international parties and partners that they are committed to continuously improve their energy performance.”
CEM8 also recognized the winners of the Award of Excellence in Energy Management, an international competition that honours companies successfully using ISO 50001. The Award is an initiative of the Energy Management Working Group (EMWG) at the Clean Energy Ministerial, which participates in the work of ISO/TC 301.
For further information on ISO 50001 and what stage it has reached in its development, see our page on energy management systems.
