Industry benefits and ISO 50001

At the seventh Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM7), world energy leaders announced ambitious actions to accelerate the global transition to clean energy. These actions include efforts to address energy efficiency using ISO 50001 on energy management systems.

The ISO 50001 standard is a framework to help companies manage and continually improve their energy performance and realise cost and emissions reductions. Regardless of a company’s size or sector, this framework helps achieve energy and cost savings year after year. In addition, the standard is a product of international collaboration, drawing on best practices from over 50 countries.

Despite clear benefits and favourable payback periods, energy-efficiency opportunities remain untapped. The overarching problem is that energy efficiency is not integrated into daily management and operational practices. Most energy efficiency in facilities or buildings can be achieved through changes in how energy is managed, rather than through new technologies. Effective energy management can lead to more efficient energy use without reducing production, quality or employee morale, and without compromising safety and environmental standards.

Broad implementation of ISO 50001 across the commercial and industrial sectors globally could drive cumulative energy savings of approximately 62 exajoules by 2030, saving over US$600 billion in energy costs and avoiding 6500 metric tonnes of CO₂ emissions.

ISO 50001 is the international best practice for energy management; however, companies need access to qualified professionals to maximise impacts. The most effective ISO 50001 professionals possess a highly specific blend of education, skills and experience with energy-efficiency projects as well as with business management systems and procedures. Currently, there is a global shortage of professionals with both of these critical skillsets to support widespread adoption of ISO 50001.

Graziella Siciliano, coordinator of the Energy Management Working Group (EMWG) at the Clean Energy Ministerial, explained that management systems that meet the global ISO 50001 standard are delivering energy, economic and sustainability benefits to businesses and communities. The following companies have received an Award of Excellence in Energy Management that recognises not only savings but also organisations’ efforts to transform the way they are using energy. This year’s top winners include:

• Cummins, Inc. With nine ISO 50001-certified sites across India, the UK and the USA, Cummins designs, manufactures, sells and services diesel engines and related technology around the world. Establishing an energy management system through a corporate enterprise approach has helped the company exceed savings goals in cost, energy and carbon emissions.
• LG Chem Ltd., Ochang Plant. LG Chem is the biggest manufacturer of large-sized polarisers in the world market and makes many kinds of batteries, including lithium-ion batteries. LG Chem’s Ochang plant is certified to ISO 50001, helping the company meet domestic and international energy and greenhouse gas targets, including the Korean government’s goal to reduce national carbon emissions by 30% by 2020.
• New Gold Inc., New Afton Mine. New Afton is the first mine in North America to implement ISO 50001. With lower gold and copper prices over the past few years, improved energy performance is one of the few areas that can improve profitability. ISO 50001 also aligns well with energy and greenhouse gas emissions protocols, allowing the mine to focus on ISO 50001 as a means to comply with several programs at the same time.