Working towards a sustainable future is going to require a joint effort from everyone if we’re to reach our 2030 and 2050 targets.
Several initiatives have come out in recent years to try and address one of our biggest challenges, energy consumption. Many of us in the UK will be familiar with ESOS (The Energy Savings Opportunities Scheme), which involves regular reporting from those that fit its criteria. It’s also recently updated to include a stipulation to include an ESOS Energy Plan, which requires you to detail a route to reduce your energy consumption.
However, many businesses would prefer a more consistent approach to energy management, such as today’s guest – Daisy Corporate Services.
Today Mel is joined by Damian Edwards, ISO Standards Manager at Daisy Corporate Services, to discuss why they Implemented ISO 50001, what they’ve learned from the experience and the benefits gained from implementing an Energy Management System
You’ll learn
- Who is Damian and who are Daisy Corporate Services?
- Why did they decide to Implement ISO 50001?
- What was the biggest gap identified during their Gap Analysis?
- What lessons did they learn from Implementing ISO 50001?
- What benefits did they gain from ISO 50001 certification?
Resources
In this episode, we talk about:
[00:30] Join the isologyhub – To get access to a suite of ISO related tools, training and templates. Simply head on over to isologyhub.com to either sign-up or book a demo.
[02:30] Episode summary: Mel is joined by guest Damian Edwards, ISO Standards Manager at Daisy Corporate Services, to discuss their journey towards ISO 50001 certification.
Daisy are not strangers to ISO Standards, already having achieved: ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 27001, ISO 45001, ISO 20000 and ISO 22301!
They have also recently won the Sustainability and Tech Awards 2024 and the Green Shoots Awards too.
[04:15] Who is Damian Edwards? – Damian has worked at Daisy as their ISO Standards Manager for the past year. A little known fact about Damian: He listens to classical music as a way to focus.
[05:25] Who are Daisy Corporate Services? – The are primarily a provider of IT and Communications. They currently supply a range of services including:
- Unified Communications
- Connectivity
- Modern Workplace
- Cyber Security
- Cloud services
- Managed Services
- Operational Resilience
[06:25] What were the main drivers behind obtaining ISO 50001 Certification? – In addition to the office spaces Daisy controls, they also have a number of data centres, which use massive amounts of energy. Finding ways to monitor, measure and potentially reduce that energy use, and subsequently cost, was essential.
The second main driver is mainly for commercial reasons. Without Standards like ISO 50001, you can’t bid for larger contracts or Government frameworks.
[08:30] Daisy’s commitment to ESG – Daisy have a made a solid commitment to ESG, explained further on their website as they break it down into 10 key focus areas. Energy Management is one of the logical steps to tackle reducing carbon emissions.
Data centres can be very inefficient, so being able to consistently monitor, measure and improve their energy consumption is a key part of tackling some of their ESG related goals.
Also being certified means you have the certificate to back up your claims. It’s not you just making a statement, it has to be verified by a third-party.
[10:30] How long did it take to Implement ISO 50001? – It took between 8 – 11 months. For a Standard like ISO 50001, it’s important to do it properly. Some organisations may request it in 6 months, but for larger organisations, that would be a tough ask, and you run the risk of rushing into certification without having those processes embedded in.
[11:45] Did having existing ISO Standards make the process smoother? – Yes, as it was a case of integrating ISO 50001 with our existing systems rather than starting from scratch. Though, having so many ISO’s can water the message down a bit, to combat that we’ve got a single statement that gets across everything you need to know about Daisy.
[12:55] What was the biggest gap identified during the Gap Analysis? – Because we already have so many ISO’s, we can be a bit big headed and say there weren’t many gaps at all, however, there were still some things we could do. One of the biggest areas for improvement was Clause 7, Documentation, as all ISO Standards have their own required documentation.
Another was putting in place a plan for monitoring and measuring our energy usage. We have a Property Director who did do that, but he wasn’t really documenting it, so we’ve put in place some proper processes to help show that we’re actively monitoring it, looking at the trends and putting in actions to reduce and improve on that.
[14:55] Join the isologyhub and get access to limitless ISO resources – From as little as £99 a month, you can have unlimited access to hundreds of online training courses and achieve certification for completion of courses along the way, which will take you from learner to practitioner to leader in no time. Simply head on over to the isologyhub to sign-up or book a demo.
[17:10] Did closing those gaps make a big difference? – We did have a lot of help from Blackmores in order to address those gaps. Out consultant advised us to combine elements of out Management Review with out monthly Team Meetings, as our Director is involved with those, and we avoid another meeting for meeting’s sake.
We now also produce a pack of all the monitoring and measuring that’s done throughout the month, which makes it easy for us to analyse and identify trends in energy use. Any actions from reviewing this are then recorded and followed up on. So, in essence it’s just made everything a lot smoother.
[19:55] What did Daisy learn from Implementing ISO 50001? – It takes a team to achieve this – you can’t do it on your own. You also can’t rush it!
Another key take away is that the whole project needs to be driven by top management, without all of those elements combined, it’s probably not going to work (or be a lot slower and more painful!)
It’s also really helped with our commitment and messaging around ESG too. So within those monthly Management Review meetings we have a representative from the energy efficiency team, the ESG team and our bids team. They’re then all communicating what the customer message is, that they expect of us, in turn they’re kept in the loop about our energy usage and related actions and can communicate that outwards.
[21:15] What other benefits are there from achieving ISO 50001? – Having our management system verified by a third-party means that we can confidently say we’re adhering to best practice. It also just validates that we are doing things correctly!
It also means that we can monitor opportunities for improvement. If we identify more gaps in future, we have the processes in place to address them.
ISO 50001 has also helped to put some context behind the energy data we’re collecting. Thanks to the new processes we can accurately identify key trends and explain why energy usage may be going up and down.
[23:25] Damian’s top tip – Ensure that your project is driven by top management. They’re involvement means it’s a lot easier to communicate that message that you’re doing the right thing.
Also, ISO 50001 helps with your regulatory compliance too. If you’re a larger organisation, then you likely have to adhere to schemes like SECR or ESOS. If you’re certified to ISO 50001, then you’re already complying with both.
[24:35] Damian’s book recommendation – Beryl in search of Britain’s greatest athlete.
[26:45] Damian’s favorite quotes – “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard” and “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”
If you’d like to learn more about Daisy Corporate Services, visit their website.
If you’d like to book a demo for the isologyhub, simply contact us and we’d be happy to give you a tour.
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The UK recently hit a huge milestone, according to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), the UK have reduced their Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 50% between 1990 and 2022.
The UK are the first major economy to achieve this, however we’ve still got a lot of work to do to meet our 2030 target of a 68% reduction.
Over the past few years there have been a number of schemes aimed at businesses to help tackle their impact, specifically their energy consumption. Here in the UK, ESOS (The Energy Savings Opportunities Scheme) was introduced as an implementation of the EU Energy Efficiency Directive and has been a mandatory undertaking for large organisations that fit the criteria.
Recently, that scheme has been updated and a number of changes have come into effect for Phase 3.
Ian Boylan, Chief Executive Officer at ISO Baseline, joins Mel to explain the recent changes to ESOS, how they affect organisations in the UK and EU and how ISO Baseline’s software can help businesses consistently manage their energy consumption in alignment with ISO 50001 (The Energy Management Standard).
You’ll learn
- Who are ISO Baseline?
- What is the Energy Savings Opportunities Scheme (ESOS)?
- What are the changes to ESOS?
- How do the changes affect those who currently comply using ISO 50001
- What are the changes to the ESOS eligibility requirements?
- How can ISO Baseline help businesses with their ISO 50001 and ESOS compliance?
Resources
In this episode, we talk about:
[00:30] Join the isologyhub – To get access to a suite of ISO related tools, training and templates. Simply head on over to isologyhub.com to either sign-up or book a demo.
[02:05] Episode summary: Today Mel is joined by guest Ian Boylan, Chief Executive Officer at ISO Baseline, to discuss the changes to The Energy Savings Opportunities Scheme (ESOS), and how the changes will affect the European Directive on energy management and energy reporting.
[03:20] Who is Ian and ISO Baseline? – Ian has been involved with ISO Standards for a number of years, starting with the technical aspects of building Management Systems, to working with Certification Bodies as an auditor for Management Systems.
From this experience, Ian really got to understand the challenges that organisations face when implementing ISO Standards. Challenges such as maintenance to ensure they are achieving their requirements and objectives.
Which is where the concept for ISO Baseline was born. Targeted specifically towards the Energy Management Standard ISO 50001, ISO Baseline’s software allows organisations to manage their energy processes and provide evidence that you are meeting your energy objectives.
[05:30] What features are included in ISO Baseline’s software? – Features include:
Energy reporting: Information can be displayed in graph or Sankey diagrams to help visualize your energy performance.
Identification of opportunities: Any opportunities for improvement found in the provided energy report will be recorded in an ‘Opportunities Register’
Financial Assessments: Work out life-cycle costs for assets, which can be used as a guide to establish possible savings by implementing suggested improvements.
[07:25] What is ESOS?: ESOS was introduced when we were still a part of the European Union, when there was a European Directive on energy efficiency.
It placed a requirement on member states in the EU to put together schemes for ensuring that large organisations undertake energy audits on a regular 4 yearly basis. In the UK this was adopted as the ESOS regulations.
For many years, if a business’s ISO 50001 certification scope covered all of its energy usage, then your business was considered compliant with ESOS.
If you didn’t have an ISO 50001 Management System in place, you would have to undertake energy audits once every 4 years, and have that reviewed, approved and signed off by a lead ESOS assessor.
At the time, this had to cover 90% of your energy usage. One of the more updated inclusions into these regulations was the introduction of transport as a source of energy consumption.
ESOS also included the requirement to identify significant energy consumption and propose a logical way to reduce energy consumption to improve energy performance.
[11:30] Main changes to ESOS: Accounting for your energy consumption – Instead of accounting for 90% of your total final energy consumption, you’re now required to account for 95% of your total final energy consumption. The de minimis component of it has been reduced by 50%
[012:30] Main changes to ESOS: Activity Metrics – All organisations will be required to develop activity metrics and as part of your audits you’ll be required to submit those activity metrics.
The aim of this is to allow the UK to effectively assess organisations over established periods (i.e. from Phase 3 to phase 4) to see if and how they are actually reducing their energy consumption.
This could potentially lead to benchmarking, where organisations can be measured against each other.
[14:45] Main changes to ESOS: Submitting Actions Plans – Previously, you just had to submit your completed audits and overall savings potential, now you will be required to submit a proposed Action Plan to improve your energy performance.
You will also be required to report annually on your progress towards that Action Plan.
So no longer can companies coast on simply paying to complete an Energy Audit exercise once every 4 years, now you will have to produce publicly available information that will hold organisations to account. Essentially a name and shame for organisations that choose to do nothing.
[16:55] Making Actions Plans publicly available – Incidentally, it always has been a requirement that everything that has been reportable regarding resources should be accessible, but previously you were not required to produce Action Plans. So essentially now that will also become part of the publicly available information.
[17:30] Making ESOS fit for purpose – When ESOS was introduced, there was already so much other legislation around in the UK, so the main focus then was to align them with one another and to ensure that they were all working towards a common purpose.
In this update, it hasn’t ultimately required you to determine your energy savings potential in carbon reduction, but quite obviously that would be a little bit ludicrous if an organisation went down this route and not to look at it from a carbon perspective, as It’s only a tiny little additional step when you’re doing it from a money perspective and an energy perspective to figure out what the carbon impact is.
[18:30] Do you need help with your Carbon Reporting? – If you need assistance with GHG emission or SECR reporting, contact our sister company Carbonology®.
[19:20] Join the isologyhub – Don’t miss out on a suite of over 200+ ISO tools, templates and training, sign-up to become a member of the isologyhub
[21:25] Main changes to ESOS: Confirming your compliance – There are different approaches that you will need to be aware of when submitting your evidence of compliance, and which one you use will depend on which route you’re taking.
For the full ISO 50001 route, you will need to complete the Annex 1 approach, which is a reduced reporting requirement where you do not need to use an ESOS lead Assessor to submit it on your behalf, the organisation can do it themselves.
If you going down either the energy audit route or do not have 100% of your energy consumption covered by ISO 50001 – you will be reporting using the Annex 2 approach. This is where you still require a lead ESOS Assessor to work with you and provide final sign-off on that reporting.
[24:15] Are there any changes in the eligibility requirements? – There aren’t any major changes in ESOS’s eligibility requirements. They have now updated the turnover amounts from Euro to Pound Sterling following our exit from the EU.
[25:35] How will these changes impact organisations? – Organisations will have to adapt to a more proactive approach towards their energy reporting and management.
No longer can you get away with doing an energy audit once every 4 years and then forgetting about it until the next Phase. You need to start looking at it from the perspective of annual reporting, as all this information is going to be publicly available every year, which is going to be scrutinized if you’re seen to not be taking any significant action.
Large organisations will be compared against each other, and if one is taking action every year to reduce its impact and another is doing nothing for 4 years, which do you think will gain a more favorable reputation?
This level of accountability is long overdue, and will be of benefit to organisations in terms of potential cost savings through reduction of energy use, and also more importantly to the environment.
[30:00] How can ISO Baseline ISO 50001 help organisations with their ESOS compliance? – ISO Baselines tools and software are going to be the most benefit to organisations that have a real objective to improve energy performance. If you’re just doing the bare minimum to meet requirements, then it’s no for you.
ISO Baseline ISO 50001 is a tool to help systemise your organisations approach to energy management. It can help to avoid a lot of the bureaucracy that can hold up progress, so you can spend your time focusing on the objectives and what the Management System is meant to lead to.
Their software will guide you through the required processes involved with ISO 50001 Energy Management, including Internal Audit planning and completion, Management review, logging and addressing non-conformities and corrective actions.
If You’d like to learn more about ISO Baseline and their software, check out their website.
If you’d like to book a demo for the isologyhub, simply contact us and we’d be happy to give you a tour.
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- Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin
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ISO Standards are internationally recognised as the gold standard for best practice within a variety of subjects and sectors.
But what ISO Standards are the most popular across the whole globe? And are there any trends that can be gleaned?
Thankfully, the International Standards Organization runs a yearly survey to find out!
Join Mel in this weeks’ episode as she breaks down the top 10 ISO Standards Implemented globally, where they are most popular and identifies key trends.
You’ll learn
- What are the top 10 Implemented ISO Standards?
- What Standards are gaining traction?
- Where are the top 10 Standards most popular?
- Are there any trends within the top 10 Implemented ISO Standards?
Resources
In this episode, we talk about:
[00:25] Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review – We love sharing top tips and dispelling myths about ISO Standards. Help us reach a wider audience by subscribing on your preferred media player, and leaving us a review 😊
[01:10] Episode summary – We’ll be taking a look at the top 10 most popular ISO Standards based on the ISO Survey, run annually by iso.org. The survey results break down the number of ISO Certificates issued, and highlights which countries and sectors these Standards are most popular in.
We’re basing this episode on the 2022 results, as the 2023 results won’t be out until later this year. We’ll do another episode on the 2023 results to see what’s changed – so keep an eye out for that!
[02:14] #1: ISO 9001 – No surprises here! The Quality Management Standard is still top of the pops. It’s holding strong with a 12% increase based on the previous year.
It’s most popular within the Construction, wholesale & retail, electrical, machinery & equipment sectors.
China is in the lead with number of certificates issues (by a very large margin!), followed by Italy, India, Germany and the UK.
[03:30] #2: ISO 14001 – We’re happy to see the Environmental Management Standard so popular! In fact, it’s had a 21% increase over the previous year!
It’s most popular in China, Japan, Italy, UK and Spain.
Construction is the leading sector, but we’ve also seen an increase in the number of professional services choosing to adopt this Standard.
[04:15] #3: ISO 45001: Coming in at #3 we have the Occupational Health & Safety Management Standard. This has seen an even bigger increase in demand, 29% more than the previous year.
China still leads the way with number of certificates issued, but the UK and Australia are not far behind.
Interestingly, there is little uptake within the Agriculture sector, which is concerning considering they consistently have the highest injury and death statistics year on year (in the UK according to the annual HSE reports).
[05:25] #4: ISO 27001 – The Information Security Management Standard comes in at #4, with a 21% increase in demand over the previous year.
Unsurprisingly, it’s increased primarily in the IT sector, but that’s followed by transport, storage and communications, along with financial services and real estate / renting.
[06:00] #5: ISO 22000 – The Standard for Food Safety Management makes it into the top 10, with it being more popular in Taiwan and Greece.
The sector specific information for this particular Standard is slim, but it’s applicable to any organisation involved in the making, packing and distribution of food, as well as organisations in the hospitality sector.
[06:30] #6: ISO 13485 – This is the Standard for Medical Devices. The USA are leading the way with certificates issued, followed by France, Germany and Italy.
We’re pleased to see that none of these ISO Standards are in any decline, and only seem to be increasing in popularity as the years go by.
[07:20] #7: ISO 50001 – This is the Standard for Energy Management, if you’d like to learn more about this Standard, check out a few of our previous episodes.
ISO 50001 has seen a 33% increase in demand, which is amazing to see! We hope this is a sign of more organisations taking climate change seriously, and taking the appropriate steps to start reducing their impact.
China is still in the lead where number of certificates issued is concerned, followed by Germany, Spain, Italy and France.
[08:25] #8: ISO 20000 – The Service Management Standard is still very popular within countries where we see a lot of call center activity.
This used to be known as the ‘IT Service Management Standard’, but it has since evolved and encompasses Service Management as a whole. We did a podcast episode covering this Standard in 2023, so go back and listen if you’d like to find out more.
No surprises to see China still in the lead with number of certificates issued, followed by USA, India, Italy and Spain.
[09:15] #9: ISO 37001 – This one was a surprise, ISO 37001 is the Anti-Bribery Standard.
Blackmores have implemented this Standard in the Construction and Facilities Management sectors, but it’s a shock to see it in the top 10 as it’s always been very niche here in the UK.
This particular Standard is most popular in Peru, followed by Italy, Indonesia, Korea and Brazil.
We were curious about why Peru were in the lead, and it seems that there may be a requirement for certain organisations to have this. Back in 2017, we knew there was a voluntary requirement, but perhaps this has changed in the last few years. If we have any listeners in Peru – we’d love to hear your feedback on this subject!
[10:35] #10: ISO 22301 – The Business Continuity Standard. This Standard is most popular in the UK, and based on our experience, it’s commonly adopted by those in the professional services and IT managed services sectors to help provide resilience and continuity for their Stakeholders.
Other countries where it’s popular include India, China, Greece and Korea.
[11:20] The runners up – These Standards didn’t make it to the top 10, but they were very close:
- ISO 55001 – Asset Management
- ISO 20121 – Sustainable Event Management
- ISO 44001 – Collaborative Business Management
[12:10] Conclusions – It’s clear to see that sustainability based Standards are becoming very popular. We’re particularly pleased to see the 33% increase in demand for ISO 50001!
If you’d like to request a specific topic, or be a guest on a future episode, get in contact and let us know.
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The UK events industry accounts for 35% of the UK visitor economy and is estimated to be worth £42 billion, yet it is still incredibly wasteful, with 68% of waste going directly to landfill.
Haymarket Media Group is a global media data and information company, who offer a wide range of digital print, tech and live event services. Haymarket UK had been certified to ISO 14001 (Environmental Management) and ISO 50001 (Energy Management) for a few years prior to 2019, covering most aspects of their business from a sustainability point of view.
However, their live events still had many sustainability opportunities that were not being taken into consideration by their existing certifications. So, in early 2022 they embarked on their journey to gain ISO 20121 (Sustainable Event Management) certification.
Today, Gary Charlton and Natalie Harris from Haymarket join Mel to discuss exactly why they added ISO 20121 to their portfolio, the challenges faced with Implementing the Standard, and the benefits gained from certification.
You’ll learn
- Who are Haymarket?
- What is ISO 20121 Sustainable Event Management?
- Why did Haymarket choose to Implement ISO 20121?
- What challenges did they face?
- What are the benefits of ISO 20121?
Resources
In this episode, we talk about:
[00:50] An Introduction to Haymarket Media Group – A global media data and information company, with offices in the UK, US, Germany, India and Asia. They produce live events (including award ceremonies, conferences and exhibitions), digital print, education data and tech services.
[02:25] Gary Charlton is the Head of Procurement for the UK – Part of his role includes supporting the Haymarket approach towards sustainability, to ensure their products and services are as environmentally and socially sustainable as possible.
[02:45] Natalie Harris is the Procurement Executive at Haymarket – A lot of her role revolves around live events in addition to purchasing our products and services. Additionally, she advises the wider team on buying legally, sustainably and ethically. Both Natalie and Gary form a team, and were the main driving force behind the creation of their Sustainable Event Management System.
[03:40] What is ISO 20121?: ISO 20121 was launched for, and named after, the 2012 Olympics, making it the worlds first sustainable Olympics! The Standard provides a framework for managing events sustainably, that includes having the policies, procedures, registers and records to demonstrate that the events are being run in a sustainable manner. Being certified indicates that a company is not just paying lip service to sustainability, it’s actually practicing what they preach. If you’d like to learn more about ISO 20121, go back and listen to episode 38.
[05:30] What was the main driver behind Haymarket achieving ISO 20121?: Haymarket first contacted Blackmores about assisting with ISO 20121 Implementation in 2019. At the time, they were already certified to ISO 14001 and ISO 50001, so they understood the benefits that came with ISO certifications – including the framework to start making better decisions and accurately measure what you’re doing.
Their head of facilities had started the process of evaluating other areas they could improve with ISO Standards, particularly around sustainability. Live events are a large service offering for Haymarket, which has a significant environmental footprint, so a case was put forward for the benefits if reducing that impact with the help of ISO 20121. The team running their live events were very positive about the potential benefits presented, and the go ahead was given.
[07:20] Sustainability is central to how Haymarket wants to operate – Implementing ISO 20121 would ensure that there was more standardisation across their processes. This would introduce some uniformity that could apply to all types of events, which was very important to the Live event lead – Donna Murphy.
Natalie was in the right place at the right time, already in the position of working in collaboration with Haymarket’s Live events team on sustainable procurement, ensuring that due diligence was followed with suppliers and their accreditations. So, it was a no-brainer getting her on board with the ISO 20121 project!
[09:30] How long did it take to implement ISO 20121?: Haymarket engaged in Blackmores services in February 2022 and were accredited by July 2023. In total, it took 18 months for the planning, creation and development ahead of the assessment.
They ensured the system was refined to ensure it worked efficiently, encouraging continual improvement and a harmonious approach for the whole business.
[11:15] Above and beyond: Haymarket received a lot of praise from their Assessor – highlighting their thoroughness, including the involvement of top management and many others within the organisation in the creation of the Management System. Also for ensuring that the system would be applicable for the 4 main types of events that Haymarket runs.
[12:00] ISO 20121 requires an audit to be conducted during a live event – So Haymarket had a lot to consider when selecting the event to be audited.
[13:30] Haymarket’s key insights on Implementing ISO 20121: #1: The Gap Analysis was an integral part of the process – by highlighting the gaps you can clearly see where improvements can be made. While they may have been a bit crestfallen and daunted by the gaps presented, they came out if knowing they already had around 27% of a Sustainable Event Management system already in place – partly due to their existing certifications.
This soon bumped up to 59% at the half-way checkpoint! This assured them that ISO 20121 was within reach, and simply required at bit of time and effort to achieve.
#2 Having leadership involvement and backing – They were quick to involve their live event lead, Donna Murphy, in key decision making and with the roll-out of the Management System. She was instrumental in ensuring the Standard was in place and being followed.
[18:45] What were some of the gap identified and how did Haymarket bridge them? Required documentation – Many ISO standards have required documentation. A lot of times companies do have a lot of it place, but it’s simply just not formalised. Natalie highlights that this was the case with a Risk Register. It’s not a universal company need to have, but as part of the Procurement Team it’s simply a part of who they are and what they do.
For live events, they need to do the appropriate health and safety checks, but it wasn’t formalised in any way. Thankfully their facilities and environment specialist, who assisted with the existing ISO 14001 and ISO 50001 certifications, was on hand to help with the creation of risk procedures based on procedures from the existing Management System.
With this collaborative approach, using elements from the exiting Management System, they created 31 brand new documents consisting of Procedures, Registers, Log and Records that are continuously used, monitored and updated.
This new documentation, while a lot of work to create, ultimately helps Haymarket track, measure and set parameter’s for continuous Improvement. It ensured they have a really visual system, with a clear view of what needs to be done to run sustainable events.
[23:00] What difference has Implementing ISO 20121 made?: There was a big amount of short-time work for a long term gain. It’s not simply a stack of useless documents sitting in a corner, it’s a living, breathing system that is injected into the business.
The Management system is of benefit to everyone, including those new to Haymarket’s team as it provides a structured and standardised approach to sustainable event delivery. It’s provided knowledge and helped to develop new skills that will stick with all those that interact with the Management system, whether they stay with Haymarket or move elsewhere.
Ultimately, it’s all about ensuring they are doing the right thing for the planet. By creating more sustainable events, they are reducing their impact as a whole.
[26:00] What is the main achievement from being certified to ISO 20121?: Morale and confidence that they can say they really do practice what they preach. They could hold a mirror up and say, right, we’ve created this system and we’re confident in it – with internal audits conducted by third-parities to confirm they’re on the right track with their intended goals.
Certification is not the end goal. You have annual Surveillance Audits to check-in, so the system must be a long-term feature in your business, and it must drive continual improvement.
[27:50] What top tip would Gary and Natalie give for ISO 20121 Implementation? Gary: Make sure you’re resolute in your reasoning for Implementing the standard and the implications of doing so. Also, enlist the help of someone with Implementation experience!
Natalie: Don’t underestimate the amount of work required. Select someone in-house to manage the project and when / if you can, use external resources such as a consultant to assist. They can also provide unbias, reflective feedback to ensure you’re on the right track.
[30:10] What’s a favorite quote? “The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it” – Robert Swan
If you’d like to learn more about Haymarket check out their website!
We’d love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here’s how:
- Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin
- Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one.
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Energy Management can be a tricky topic to approach depending on your industry. There are a lot of factors that need to be considered to ensure that you are accurately monitoring and measuring your energy consumption.
Thankfully ISO 50001, the Standard for Energy Management, does provide a lot of useful guidance to help you get started. As a reminder, ISO 50001 can help your business to continually improve its energy performance, energy efficiency, energy use and energy consumption. Building an energy management system (EMS) based on the requirements of ISO 50001 will ultimately help you to understand, monitor and measure your use of energy.
However, even with the guidance, we often see a few common mistakes companies make while managing their EMS. Today Darren Morrow, Senior Isologist here at Blackmores, joins us to share his top 5 mistakes to avoid while managing an EMS.
You’ll learn
- What is ISO 50001?
- 5 mistakes to avoid while managing an Energy Management System
- How can you avoid these mistakes?
Resources
In this episode, we talk about:
[00:30] What is ISO 50001? ISO 50001 is all about continually improving energy performance, energy efficiency, energy use and energy consumption. By Implementing an energy management system, you will be able to fully understand and monitor and measure your use of energy. Like most other ISO’s, continual improvement is at the heart of ISO 50001, and It’s also based on the Annex SL format. So, it shares some similarities with Standards such as ISO 9001 and ISO 14001. If you’ve got ISO 14001, you’re already half-way there!
[01:14] We have a more detailed walkthrough of ISO 50001 Implementation available in our steps to success podcast series, which are episodes: 84, 85 and 88
[02:00] Mistake 1 – Lack of commitment from top management: This can be one of the biggest issues and can cause the most damage in relation to any management system.
A lack of support from top management often leads to:-
- A loss of motivation for improvement
- A lack of financial support and resources – The EMS should be considered in budgets so you can account for any additional maintenance that needs to be done to ensure equipment is running optimally, or possibly investing in newer technology that is designed to be more efficient.
- Lack of alignment of the EMS and organisational goals and objectives – Everyone in the business should be aware of the organisation’s goals, if energy management is included as part of those goals, then they are more likely to be fulfilled.
Having a commitment from top management ensures that EMS is part of the business and not just a bolt on.
[03:25] Mistake 2 – Built by one person or department: If one person is deemed ultimately responsible, even if supported by top management, overall commitment throughout the business can be difficult, sometimes with comments such as ‘that’s Bob’s job’.
With one person or department, there can be the lack of authority to make decisions, and inevitably they can become siloed from the rest of the business – not hearing about improvement opportunities, not being involved in internal projects, etc.
Ensure that, even in a smaller businesses where one person may form the ‘Energy Team’, that everyone is able to contribute.
[04:20] Mistake 3 – Rushed Implementation of the Energy Management System: This can lead to confusion as to who is responsible and what responsibilities are shared. It can also lead to failures to record opportunities for improvement, or for monitoring and managing any deviations in energy consumption that may occur and require investigation.
There is also the risk of a lack of awareness amongst staff if you’ve not taken the time to communicate roles and responsibilities in relation to the EMS.
[05:30] Mistake 4 – Manual controls that can be overridden by staff: A lot of what you monitor and measure may be automated, but there will always be elements where there is a potential for human error. So ideally, where possible during energy reviews or audits, consider those elements that humans have direct impact for the control and influence of energy.
Typical examples include:
- Heating and cooling – Problems and excessive energy use can be caused through individuals changing temperatures resulting in equipment working harder and on many occasions working against each other.
- Lighting – Many companies now have sensor controlled lighting, this ensures lights are only switched on when required. Manual lighting controls typically have resulted in lights being switched on and left on in rooms that are not occupied, example being meeting rooms.
[06:50] Mistake 5 – Data collection and monitoring: Data collection is crucial in supporting decision making and also to be able to demonstrate improvement. Common pitfalls in this category include:
- Lack of attention to monitoring and measurement results / trends – there is a likelihood that data will not be collected properly, recorded incorrectly, resulting in data that is only used to populate a spreadsheet or software based database, and does not provide any valuable information.
Results may not be analyzed at appropriate times to identify any trends or issues / deviations that may arise, potentially leading to inefficiencies in equipment operations, and ultimately increased costs
- Poor data collection and record keeping and general housekeeping – Data if not collected periodically, covering determined periods, will result in being unable to compare consumption on a like-for-like basis. This means you will only be recording usage, with significantly reduced means to identify opportunities for improvement and / or causes for deviations.
- Relying on energy bills (estimated and not reading meters) – This should be a last resort for data collection. This will not provide accurate information to base decisions on, inevitably bills will show an estimated consumption and cost, followed by a ‘reading’ sometime during the year, resulting in an amendment or adjustment being made – primarily cost.
This has a significant impact the data collected, along with any possibility of accurately identifying improvements and / or deviations that could impact the business
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We’re already seeing the devastating effects of failing to maintain global warming at the 1.5 degrees, as pledged in the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement. In order to get this back on track we all need to consider our current energy consumption.
So, what can businesses do to manage their impact?
That’s where ISO 50001, the Standard for Energy Management, comes in! ISO 50001 can help your business to continually improve its energy performance, energy efficiency, energy use and energy consumption. Building an energy management system will ultimately help you to understand, monitor and measure your use of energy.
Today Darren Morrow, Senior Isologist here at Blackmores, joins us to share his top 5 top tips for ISO 50001 Implementation.
You’ll learn
- What is ISO 50001?
- 5 top tips for Implementing and Energy Management System
Resources
In this episode, we talk about:
[00:52] We have a more detailed walkthrough of ISO 50001 Implementation available in our steps to success podcast series, which are episodes: 84, 85 and 88
[01:05] What is ISO 50001? ISO 50001 is all about continually improving energy performance, energy efficiency, energy use and energy consumption. By Implementing an energy management system, you will be able to fully understand and monitor and measure your use of energy. Like most other ISO’s, continual improvement is at the heart of ISO 50001, and It’s also based on the Annex SL format. So, it shares some similarities with Standards such as ISO 9001 and ISO 14001. If you’ve got ISO 14001, you’re already half-way there!
[01:40] ISO 50001 and ESOS – ISO 50001 can also help you comply with ESOS (The Energy Savings Opportunities Scheme). If you’d like to learn more about that, listen to episode 138.
[02:50] Tip 1 – Top Management commitment and allocation of resources: This is vital, as the reason for implementation, management, requirements and aims along with expectations of everyone within the business for their support, is clearly demonstrated and communicated from the top down.
With an energy management system, part of this commitment includes making sure suitable resources are made available, this includes:
- People – For implementation, maintenance and improvement of the systems, including the means of gathering and reporting data.
- Financial support – There will be times where investment will be required. Ensuring existing equipment maintenance and servicing undertaken as required to maintain efficiency.
Allocate clear responsibilities for individuals e.g. gathering data such as meter readings, fuel usage, so that this is done consistently and the data is not only available but accurate.
[04:14] Tip 2 – Data: For data collection we need to understand certain things, an Energy review will support the identification of energy sources, identify and understand energy use and determine clear performance monitoring and indicators, leading to the determination of the data required. Some key considerations include:
- Identify sources of energy and your energy consumption from the energy review
- The quality, precision and accuracy of the data collected needs to be considered and monitored if measuring / monitoring results are to be meaningful.
- Data collection frequency should be determined and maintained to support the overall statistical analysis.
Finally, set goals and targets for improvement (EnPIs) – this can be in overall energy consumption, specific equipment improvements, other ratios measures such as consumption per person of consumption vs revenue.
[06:10] Tip 3 – Align and Integrate with other business management systems, goals and strategies: Sounds simple, but not always undertaken effectively, when implementing an energy management system consider any other management system that is already in place and look at any similarities, any elements that already exist that can be tweaked or expanded – this way, it is treated as ‘business as usual’.
[07:20] Tip 4 – Communication, training and awareness: Communication plays a key role in any system, make sure you:
- Communicate requirements, goals and commitments, and objectives or targets.
- Keep staff informed of what’s going on as their involvement and direct actions support achieving goals and targets, along with identifying improvements.
- Assign responsibilities, create a team and/or assign a champion – This supports the effectiveness of data collection, and also can increase motivation and encourage identification of energy saving opportunities
Energy savings require the commitment of the whole workforce. There ideally needs to be a champion in the organization who can drive change and savings.
[08:41] Tip 5 – Record opportunities for improving energy efficiency: Any and all identified opportunities can be, and should be logged and monitored for suitability, no matter how ‘far out there’ these may be.
Some may not be appropriate or feasible immediately, or in the short term, possibly due to costs / investment requirements. However, once an opportunity is logged, it can be monitored, assigned financial support and be planned for Implementation.
[10:40] We’re offering a Buy 1 Get 1 Free offer on isologyhub memberships until the 31st October 2023! Contact us to book a demo
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The Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS) is a legal requirement for organisations of a certain size or value. The scheme is designed to make companies look at how they use energy with a view to improving performance. If your organisation qualifies for ESOS, you have until December 5th to comply or complete your phase 3 reporting.
Over the last few episodes we’ve explored two routes to compliance: Energy Audits and ISO 50001. As we explained, ISO 50001 goes above and beyond ESOS requirements and ensures you don’t have to gather an evidence pack every four years to prove compliance.
However, there are many more benefits to ISO 50001 than just it’s compliance with ESOS requirements. Join Mel this week as she dives into the other benefits ISO 50001, including real world examples from some global brand names.
You’ll learn
- Why Implement ISO 50001?
- What are the benefits of ISO 50001?
- Who has found success with ISO 50001?
Resources
In this episode, we talk about:
[00:35] Watch our previous episodes to learn more about Energy Audits and ISO 50001
[01:41] Benefit #1: Cost savings – By Improving your energy efficiency and reducing energy consumption, you can save a startling amount. ISO 50001 helps you to put a system in place that will allow optimisation of your energy usage.
[02:20] Benefit #2: Compliance – ISO 50001 can help you comply with the likes of ESOS and SECR. Carbon reporting and legal requirements in relation to it are global, any countries lagging behind on these requirements will soon adopt or create their own in response to the limited time we have left to reduce the effects of the climate crisis.
[02:45] Benefit #3: Reduce your environmental Impact – By reducing energy usage and switching to more energy efficient means, you will reduce your carbon emissions. ISO 50001 also acts as a complementary tool to ISO 14001 (Environmental Management) that many already have in place.
[03:10] Benefit #4: A coordinated approach – Companies, especially large ones, may have multiple systems in place to manage energy. ISO 50001 helps to create a universal framework that can be applied to a whole business.
[03:25] Benefit #5: External Incentives – There may be external benefits that can be gained by proving that you are taking steps to reduce your environmental impact. This could include tax benefits, insurance ect
[04:25] Benefit #6 Informed funding – There is a lot of funding out there to help companies with new green technology. Having ISO 50001 in place will give you a consistent overview of your energy usage, so you’ll be able to make informed funding choices based on where more savings can be made in terms of emissions and general costs.
[04:55] Benefit #7 Track Objectives – ISO 50001 can help you set Objectives and then set policies and procedures to help make those a reality. Those familiar with ISO Standards will know that it’s all about continual Improvement, so you’ll always be making progress.
[05:30] Benefit #8 Credibility – ISO 50001 is an internationally recognised Standard, and is a mark of your credibility. This can be used in marketing materials, displayed on your website, used in Case Studies ect.
[06:35] You don’t have to be a large brand or organisation to Implement ISO 50001. It can be implemented for a business of any size where energy is a significant environmental Impact.
[07:05] Hilton’s success with ISO 50001: One of the world’s largest hotel chains, Hilton was the first global hospitality company to achieve portfolio-wide certification to ISO 50001. The savings have been significant, reducing Hilton’s energy intensity by 20.6% and its carbon intensity by 30.0% from a 2008 baseline.
[07:55] Bentley’s success with ISO 50001: Reduced energy usage by two-thirds for each car produced and by 14% overall for the entire plant, delivering savings of 230 GWh of energy – enough to power 11,500 houses for a year!
[09:37] Hitachi’s success with ISO 50001: Following the Japanese earthquake disaster in 2011, Hitachi decided to introduce “the smart next-generation factory plan”. Following implementation of ISO 50001, the plant reduced 23 % of the contract electricity, 15 % of CO2 emissions and 5 million yen/month of electricity costs.
[10:12] Toyota’s success with ISO 50001: Implementation of ISO 50001 resulted in a reduction in electricity usage which has translated into cost-savings of more than R4.8 million (Over £210,000!) over a two-year period. The company also generated energy savings of GWh 8.15 across its 14 plants, and reduced its GHG emissions by 7,804 tons.
[10:50] Schneider Electric’s success with ISO 50001: The company adopted ISO 50001 certification in order to maximise energy performance. Following the certification, the business’ energy performance increased by 10.5%, with savings totaling £26,500 over 3 years.
[12:15] Want more info on ISO 50001? – Head on over to the isologyhub to get access to a wealth of ISO 50001, and energy management tools
For those interested in ISO 50001, we’re offering a free copy of the Standard to anyone who signs up for Implementation with us before the 16th June.
We’d love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here’s how:
- Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin
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The Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS) is a legal requirement for organisations of a certain size or value. The scheme is designed to make companies look at how they use energy with a view to improving performance. If your organisation qualifies for ESOS, you have until December 5th to comply or complete your phase 3 reporting.
Last week Mel explained the Energy Audits route to compliance, which is a process that must be repeated every 4 years. Companies that want to avoid the inevitable rush to get reports submitted before the deadline may want to consider a more long-term commitment to ensure continued compliance, that being the Implementation of ISO 50001.
ISO 50001 is the standard for Energy Management, and it goes above and beyond what is required of ESOS. Companies certified to this standard are already considered compliant to ESOS with out the need to complete any additional reporting outside of what is already monitored and measured by the standard.
Join Mel this week as she explains what ISO 50001 is, how it complies with ESOS requirements and the key differences between other environmental standards such as ISO 14001.
You’ll learn
- What is ISO 50001?
- How ISO 50001 complies with ESOS?
- What is the difference between ISO 50001 and ISO 14001?
Resources
In this episode, we talk about:
[00:50] Watch our previous episode to learn more about Energy Audits
[01:00] Reminder: Companies certified to ISO 50001 do not have to carry our Energy Audits.
[01:14] What is ISO 50001? This is the Energy Management Standard, a globally recognised best practice framework designed to help manage a companies energy performance, optimise their energy efficiency and reduce their overall impact.
[01:50] Why have a Standard for Energy Management? This standard is most appliable for businesses who are looking to put measures in place to reduce their overall environmental impact, specifically in relation to energy management. Businesses who operate data centers or large healthcare facilities will use a lot of energy, many Implement ISO 50001 to help reduce their costs for energy.
[02:48] Why Implement ISO 50001 if you already have ISO 14001? – ISO 50001 is specifically aimed at the energy aspect of environmental impact. It helps businesses to take a deeper look at their operations and how their managing energy performance. If you already have ISO 14001, you’re already half-way there, and ISO 50001 could easily be integrated as an enhancement to your Management System.
[03:25] If you want to claim ESOS compliance, it’s important to ensure that your ISO 50001 certification is valid for the compliance date.
[03:50] If you want to go down the ISO 50001 route, the time to act in now (April / May 2023) – You will need to factor in a minimum of 6 months to Implement ISO 50001. Need help with this? Contact us!
[04:40] There has been an increase in uptake of ISO 50001, which has put a lot of UK certification Bodies under pressure to get Assessments booked in before the ESOS deadline. So get in touch with a few UKAS accredited Certification Bodies ASAP to find out if they can accommodate you in an appropriate time frame. We offer a quote request service for free, simply contact us for more info.
[05:50] More about ISO 50001 – It’s based on the Plan-Do-Act-Check cycle, which is a familiar structure to a lot of ISO’s. Many aspects of ISO 50001 Implementation will be similar to the likes of ISO 9001, i.e. having policies and procedures in place and conducting Internal Audits ect.
[06:34] How does ISO 50001 differ from ISO 14001? – The main difference is the requirement for an Energy Review. This is all about understanding how you’re using energy as an organisation, then using that information to recommend controls to reduce energy use.
[07:43] You will be able to determine your Energy Performance Indicators following on from an Energy Review. These help to establish a clear roadmap and energy controls for reducing energy usage. For example, you could put controls in place for certain equipment, LED light replacements, cycle to work or car share schemes ect.
[08:45] What is the benefit of ISO 50001 over Energy Audits?: ISO 50001 puts a whole system in place to continually Improve your energy performance through controls and procedures. Energy Audits will only tell you about your current energy use and provide recommendations for Improvement with no clear roadmap or further incentive to Implement those changes.
[09:00] What else is involved with ISO 50001?: Another key aspect of ISO 50001 is the continued monitoring and measurement of energy performance. This can then be reported back to the board so they can see the progress being made.
[10:00] What are the key clauses in ISO 50001? ISO 50001 went under a revision in 2018 to align itself with Annex SL, which is common across a lot of other ISO’s. The 10 clauses are as follows:
- Clauses 1,2,3 – Explanatory clauses. You won’t Implement these, they simply provide context and help with key terms and definitions.
- Clause 4 – Context of the Organisation
- Clause 5 – Leadership
- Clause 6 – Planning
- Clause 7 – Support
- Clause 8 – Operations
- Clause 9 – Performance Evaluation
- Clause 10 – Improvement
[11:00] Want more info on ISO 50001? – Head on over to the isologyhub to get access to a wealth of ISO 50001, and energy management tools
For those interested in ISO 50001, we’re offering a free copy of the Standard to anyone who signs up for Implementation with us before the 16th June.
Tune in next week where we explore the many benefits of Implementing ISO 50001.
We’d love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here’s how:
- Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin
- Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one.
Subscribe to keep up-to-date with our latest episode’s
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The Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS) is a legal requirement for organisations of a certain size or value. The scheme is designed to make companies look at how they use energy with a view to improving performance. If your organisation qualifies for ESOS, you have until December 5th 2023 to comply or complete your phase 3 reporting.
Over the next few weeks, we will focus on how you can comply with ESOS, starting with Energy Audits. These audits are required by ESOS in order to understand where and how energy is used within the organisations premises and operations. Every audit will recommend cost-effective measures that will save the organisation energy and money, which is the ultimate intention of the legislation.
Join Mel this week as she explains what Energy Audits are, what data you need to report on and what final sign-off is required before a report is submitted.
You’ll learn
- Who needs to comply with ESOS?
- How can you comply with ESOS?
- What are Energy Audits?
- What data do you need to gather?
- Who needs to sign-off the ESOS report before submission?
Resources
In this episode, we talk about:
[00:44] The deadline for Phase 3 ESOS reporting is the 5th December. Remember that ISO 50001 is considered a route to compliance if you don’t want to go ahead with conducting Energy Audits.
[01:32] What is ESOS? ESOS stands for the Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme. It was launched by the department of energy and climate change, Deck, back in July 2013. It was established to comply with Article 8 – an EU directive that was created in 2014. Despite Brexit, any qualifying businesses must still comply. ESOS in simple terms is an energy assessment that must be carried out by its definition of large enterprises.
[02:50] Who qualifies for ESOS? Large enterprises as defined by ESOS are businesses that have more than 250 employees and / or an annual turnover exceeding 50 million euro or a balance sheet exceeding 43 million euro. This only applies to the private sector – the public sector is exempt.
[03:33] When does ESOS reporting occur? Every 4 years – The first phase staring in 2014, Phase 2 was in 2019 and Phase 3 will have it’s deadline this year.
[04:08] Why is ESOS important? – No matter where you are in the world, energy reduction is crucial. Businesses should also be well aware of their own energy use and impact, not only to reduce but hopefully offset as part of ongoing sustainability efforts.
[04:35] It’s estimated that there will be a net benefit of £1.6 billion as a result of ESOS to the UK alone.
[04:55] What do you need to do to comply with ESOS? An ESOS assessment requires you to do 3 things:
- Measure your total energy consumption
- Conduct Energy Audits – to identify cost effective energy reduction recommendations
- To report compliance back to the Environment Agency (For the UK, other European countries will have their own authority)
[05:42] How can you comply with ESOS? – There are 2 routes to compliance:
- Conduct Energy / ESOS Audits
- Implement ISO 50001 – Companies certified to this standard are already complying with ESOS, as it goes above and beyond ESOS’s requirements.
[07:20] What’s involved in an ESOS Energy Audit? – You will be required to collect 12 months of energy data, provide cost effective energy reduction recommendations for the areas audited in scope, and findings need to be reviewed by an ESOS Lead Assessor.
[08:00] What do you need to consider when collecting data and looking at where reductions can be made? – Facilities – i.e. heating, lighting, ventilation ect. There are a number of energy efficiency initiatives to help reduce costs involved with elements of facility management. It can be something simple like replacing old boilers, using energy efficient Led lighting, reducing working hours in the office, reviewing time settings for lighting, ventilation and heating ect. Many businesses leave unnecessary functions and devices on overnight, start looking at how much energy you’re using and where, and you’ll be able to identify where energy use and costs can be cut.
[10:20] Other things to consider are additional warehouses or transportation within your business i.e. fuel consumption, vehicle maintenance ect.
[10:53] To truly make a difference, you need to spread awareness within your business about any changes you’re making as a result of these energy audits. Including any reminders to them i.e. turning off lights when they leave a premises.
[11:05] What do you need to do to carry out an ESOS Energy Audit?:
- You need to plan the audit – including establishing the scope
- Conduct the audit
- Collect data for analysis and identify the opportunities for improvement
- Pull together all the documentation in an ESOS evidence pack which will be reviewed and signed off by top management and an ESOS Lead Assessor
- Finally, you can submit that evidence pack to the Environment Agency
If you need help with any of this – Blackmores can help 😉
[11:45] What are the different data sources you should look at? Meter reading records, delivery notes, automatic meter readings ect. We find that the financial team and facility managers are instrumental in gathering the necessary data. Don’t forget to gather any travel information from your drivers or vehicle fleet managers!
[12:31] Establishing the scope and documentation – You will need to set the scope and boundaries of the audit, document the methodology for your data collection and recommendations for improvement, document your data sources and identify any gaps.
[13:00] Final sign-off: Once everything has been documented in an evidence pack, you need to get this signed off by a director or member of top management and by an ESOS energy assessor. Once done, you can submit this to the Environment Agency
Tune in next week where we explore the ISO 50001 route to ESOS compliance.
We’d love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here’s how:
- Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin
- Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one.
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The world is facing a crisis: poverty, hunger, inequality and climate change are just some of the issues we need to address.
In 2015, world leaders came together to create 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) which aim to tackle these issues, to build a better world by 2030.
What you may not be aware of is the fact that ISO Standards play a big part in the journey towards a better future. Many commonly used ISO Standards already meet certain goals, with more in development.
Today, Mel explains what the SDG’s are, and how businesses can align themselves with the SDG’s with related ISO standards.
You’ll learn
- The 17 sustainable development goals set by the UN.
- How to align your business with the SDG’s.
- How the SDG’s affect our day-to-day lives.
- The ISO standards that can help you meet the SDG’s.
- Details of the first 9 SDG’s and the ISO standards that relate to them.
- Where the term ISO came from.
Resources
- United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
- What is ISO 20400 – Sustainable Procurement
- How to avoid anti-bribery fines – ISO 37001
- Need support with revamping your Management System? check out our ISO Support Plan
- Need guidance and support with ISO Standards? Isologyhub
In this episode, we talk about:
[01:48] What the sustainable development goals are.
[02:29] When the SDG was established and what it’s agenda is.
[03:17] An overview of the 17 SDG’s.
[04:48] Where the term ISO came from.
[09:05] How ISO 20400 and ISO 37001 relate to the goal of ‘No Poverty’.
[11:25] The ISO standards related to the goal of ‘Zero Hunger’ including ISO 22000, ISO 26000 and ISO 20400.
[13:05] How ISO 13845 can relate to the goal of ‘Good health and well-being’.
[13:53] The first-ever management standard on education ISO 21001.
[15:23] How ISO 26000 can help improve gender equality.
[17:40] The ISO standards for water management that relate to the UN’s goal of ‘Clean water and sanitation’ including ISO 24518, ISO 14001 and ISO 24521.
[19:48] The increase in development of ISO standards in the area of Affordable and clean energy’ including ISO 50001 and the ISO 52000 series of Standards.
[21:37] How international standards promote the goal of ‘Decent work and economic growth’ including ISO 45001, ISO 37001, ISO 9001 and ISO 44001.
[27:48] How international standards promote the goal of ‘Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure’ including ISO 56002 and ISO 56003
Just a reminder, we’re offering 6 months free access to the isologyhub for anyone who signs up to an ISO Support Plan!
We’d love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here’s how:
- Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin
- Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one.
Subscribe to keep up-to-date with our latest episodes:
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This episode, we’re joined by Paul Robinson our Managing Consultant at Blackmores to talk about ISO 50001 – the Energy Management Standard.
Paul gives us some guidance and advice on how to audit and implement this standard effectively and how you can make improvements in your energy management.
We also talk about some common techniques to reduce energy consumption, how to increase a buildings energy efficiency, and how to monitor if equipment is being used in line with good practice.
You’ll learn
- How to make improvements in your energy management.
- How to implement the energy management standard ISO 50001.
- The purpose and benefits of carrying out internal audits.
- Common techniques to reduce energy consumption.
- How to increase a buildings energy efficiency.
- Why everyone should switch to LED lights.
Resources
In this episode, we talk about:
[02:25] The purpose and benefits of carrying out internal audits.
[03:31] Benefits data centres have had as a result of auditing.
[04:45] How an organization can set up a robust audit programme.
[07:23] The impact a building’s design has on its energy efficiency and how this can be improved.
[10:16] The importance of monitoring systems and the power of automation.
[11:59] How to know which maintenance companies to work with.
[13:13] How to know if equipment is being used with good practice.
[15:26] The benefits of raising opportunities of improvement to management.
[17:59] Common opportunities for businesses to improve their energy management.
[21:24] Evidence you expect to see when carrying out an ISO 50001 audit.
If you need assistance with implementing ISO 50001 or another standard – Contact us!
We’d love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here’s how:
- Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin
- Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one.
Subscribe to keep up-to-date with our latest episodes:
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We’re joined again by Paul Robinson, Managing Consultant at Blackmores. Last week Paul summarised the importance of energy management and introduced us to ISO 50001. This week, he delves deeper into the individual clauses of the Standard to break down what’s required in a typical Energy Management System.
What you’ll learn:
- The main clauses and requirements of ISO 50001
- Examples of ISO 50001’s application in other Businesses based on Paul’s experience
What are the main clauses of ISO 50001?
ISO 50001 has been aligned with the Annex SL format since 2018 so that it may be more easily integrated with other ISO Standards. The clauses are as follows:
- Clauses 1, 2 and 3 – These are all explanatory clauses, starting with the scope, then Normative References and lastly Terms and Definitions.
- Clause 4 – Context of the Organisation: Here you would define the scope and boundaries of your energy management system and understanding the processes affected. This includes looking at your energy inputs and outputs. You’ll also address any energy issues that affect you and interested parties involved.
- Clause 5 – Leadership: This refers to Top Management commitment, which is necessary if you want your energy management system to be successful. They will need to provide resources required to implement an energy policy, and to define roles and responsibilities.
- Clause 6 – Planning: This is a central pillar behind every Energy Management System as it talks about strategic and tactical considerations. This includes high-level issues, the needs and expectations of interested parties and the risks and opportunities associated with them in an energy context. This clause also includes an Energy Review, which will help you build a picture of your energy sources and current consumption. From that you can start setting your Objectives and Targets and actions going forward using energy baselines and energy performance indicators established from the Energy Review.
- Clause 7 – Support: This clause talks about provision of resources, competencies, awareness, communication and documented information required for energy management.
- Clause 8 – Operation: This is where operational controls are defined to help you manage your energy effectively. It also covers design and procurement, which means procuring of energy, consuming assets and having effective processes in place to ensure energy is a key consideration when making infrastructure changes.
- Clause 9 – Performance Evaluation: ISO 50001 is very data driven and clause 9 states the requirements for monitoring and measurement of your energy use, which will be used to demonstrate your improvement in energy efficiency. This clause also covers Internal Audits and Management Review to ensure the Management System is performing effectively.
- Clause 10 – Improvement: This clause talks about taking opportunities that drive continual improvement in the Management System, but also recognizing that sometimes things go wrong. It also addresses significant deviations and a structure to investigate and correct those deviations to keep the management system on track.
What can go wrong?:
Based on his experience, Paul highlighted some issues he’s seen in existing Management Systems:
- Not aligning an Energy Management system with Company Objectives
- Lack of financial resources
- Having the Management system built and run by only one person – This becomes a single point of failure
- Confusion in responding to energy deviations – lack of communication of a process to correct non-conformities
- Rushed creation – Energy Management Systems created in a short span of time may not be properly embedded into the business and can lead to the issues listed above.
That’s it from Paul this week! For further information on ISO 50001, visit our Standards page Here. We also have an ISO 50001 Handbook available to members of the isologyhub, sign up here to grab a copy.
If you’re just getting started with ISO, we do have a free ISO Blueprint available for download to help you to plan, create, launch and get certified to ISO Standards.
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Today we’re joined by Paul Robinson, Managing Consultant at Blackmores. Paul is here to introduce the Energy Management Standard, ISO 50001, why it’s important and give you an overview of its basic structure.
What you’ll learn:
- Why energy management is so critical in the current climate crisis
- The main purpose of ISO 50001
- A summary of the clauses within ISO 50001
Why have an Energy Management Standard?
There’s a big focus on trying to maintain global warming to that 1.5 degrees increase. Right now, we’re failing on that. In order to get this back on track we need to consider our current energy consumption. During COP26 we heard a lot about phasing out coal power, unfortunately there are some countries who are resistant to that and as a result have had the requirements watered down. Regardless, energy use continues to rise as does the demand.
Energy Management is particularly relevant for organisations who want to measure their impact and put measures in place to reduce their environmental footprint.
Why is it so important to restrict Global Warming to 1.5 degrees?
It’s literally the difference between survival. We’re at a tipping point now, failing to stick to this 1.5 degrees will result in rising sea levels and rising temperatures. Paul shares his experience working in Cyprus where it’s not uncommon now for the temperature to reach 45 degrees. This isn’t sustainable and it will get to the point where it’s difficult for humans to survive if we keep going at this rate.
What is the main purpose of ISO 50001?
ISO 50001 includes continually improving energy performance, energy efficiency, energy use and energy consumption. Building an energy management system will help you to understand, monitor and measure your use of energy, and like most other ISO’s, continual improvement is at the heart of ISO 50001. Key factors it addresses are energy performance, energy efficiency and energy consumption.
What are the main clauses of ISO 50001?
ISO 50001 went through it’s latest revision in 2018, aligning it with the Annex SL format that many other ISO’s use. The clauses are as follows:
- Clauses 1, 2 and 3 – Explanatory clauses
- Clause 4 – Context of the Organisation
- Clause 5 – Leadership
- Clause 6 – Planning
- Clause 7 – Support
- Clause 8 – Operation
- Clause 9 – Performance Evaluation
- Clause 10 – Improvement
That’s it from Paul this week! Join us next week as Paul breaks down each clause of the Standard and how it can be applied. For further information on ISO 50001, visit our Standards page Here. We also have an ISO 50001 Handbook available to members of the isologyhub, sign up here to grab a copy.
If you’re just getting started with ISO, we do have a free ISO Blueprint available for download to help you to plan, create, launch and get certified to ISO Standards.
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With the ESOS deadline being just a few weeks away, I’m joined on today’s podcast by Andrew Geens, Head of certification at CIBSE (Chartered Institution of Building Engineers) to discuss CIBSE and his views on the routes to compliance and the UK’s readiness for the deadline in December 2019.
CIBSE represents the interests of the Building Services industry with a substantial membership base across 98 countries. The Building services industry is very diverse, the services delivered by Mechanical and Electrical engineers range from providing hot water in our buildings to installing and maintain lighting and air-conditioning. CIBSE provide useful guides and Technical Memorandums on all of these aspects including managing energy performance in buildings.
CIBSE operate the largest register of energy professionals in the UK, including ESOS Assessors, Low Carbon energy Assessors and Energy Consultants.
Andrew gives an update on ESOS compliance in 2019 and the status of the CIBSE approved energy professionals.
For those eligible companies that have still not submitted their energy report to ESOS, Andrew explains the options available to comply. Options range from energy reporting through to certification to an Energy Management system, ISO 50001. Interestingly, we discuss on the Podcast the tangible financial benefits of companies that have gone down the ISO 50001 route.
Contact us to find out how we can assist you before the ESOS deadline.
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Purpose of energy audits
The Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS) is a legal requirement for organisations of a certain size or value. The scheme is designed to make companies look at how they use energy with a view to improving performance. If your organisation qualifies for ESOS, then there is a chance that your premises may be subject to an on-site energy audit.
These audits are required by ESOS in order to understand where and how energy is used within the organisations premises and operations. Every audit will recommend cost-effective measures that will save the organisation energy and money – the ultimate intention of the legislation. Saving money on escalating energy bills will also increase competitiveness.
Therefore the “Opportunity” in ESOS really is a big one, both for individual businesses and the UK as a whole.
What to expect
The on-site energy audit itself is the practical element of the process in which a qualified auditor assesses your operations (buildings, processes and transport fuel use) to identify how energy is used on a day to day basis, and to identify where savings can be made.
In order for the auditor to understand fully how energy is used, they will need to visit your site and see what is in place and what is used on the site. Typical areas the audit will assess include:
- The type of lighting used in the premises and if more energy efficient alternatives are available
- How heating and cooling systems are managed, reviewing settings and control types
- Insulation levels to see where heat loss could be reduced
- The type of energy used to run the premises, and if cheaper or lower carbon fuels or renewables are appropriate
- How equipment and machinery is used, and if savings can be made through more efficient operation
An audit can take from around 2 hours to a full day depending on the size and complexity of the site. When visiting the site, it is helpful for the auditor to be accompanied by someone from the site who is knowledgeable in the areas being surveyed. In addition, the auditor may wish to speak to a cross section of staff to include facilities, maintenance and those staff operating specific equipment, or occupying specific areas.
They will undertake a thorough survey of the property using measurements and photographs and assessing lighting, heating and insulation systems, the building construction type and its usage, to create your audit report. During the audit the auditor may also wish to take meter readings, or view monitoring or measurement activities in place on the site.
The audit is a visual inspection and so not invasive of the structure of the building. Each auditor will make their own observations.
To ensure that relevant energy saving opportunities are identified, the auditor may request energy related information in advance of the on-site visit.
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With the ESOS phase 2 deadline looming, do you know if you qualify? And if so, do you know what to do to comply? In this week’s podcast we will look at what ESOS is and briefly cover the various methods for compliance.
Podcast highlights:-
What is ESOS?
The Energy Saving Opportunity Scheme (ESOS) was launched for consultation by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) in July 2013. This scheme is a mandatory energy assessment and energy savings identification scheme for ‘Large Enterprises’.
A Large Enterprise is defined as:-
- Having more than 250 employees
- An annual turnover exceeding €50 million or an annual balance sheet total exceeding €43 million
The pubic sector is not required to participate.
Who qualifies?
- Limited companies
- Public companies
- Trusts
- Partnerships
- Unincorporated associations
- Non-for-profit bodies
ESOS Phase 2 Deadline: 5th December 2019
Why ESOS?
- Estimated to lead to £1.6 billion net benefits to the UK
- ESOS energy audits have the potential to increase business profitability and competitiveness.
- Helps to identify energy efficiency measures
What do you have to do to comply?
- Measure your total energy consumption
- Conduct energy audits to identify cost- effective energy efficiency recommendations
- Report compliance to the Environment Agency (as the scheme administrator)
ESOS energy Audits:
- Use 12 months of energy consumption data
- Produce cost-effective recommendations for the area being audited or confirm that there is no scope for cost-effective energy efficiency improvement
- Be overseen, conducted or reviewed by an ESOS Lead Assessor
Areas for potential energy saving:-
- Buildings
- Industrial Processes
- Transport
- Employees
Potential routes for compliance:
- ESOS Energy Audits
- ISO 50001
- Green Deal Assessments
- Display Energy Certificates
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How do I establish Energy Performance Indicators and Energy Baselines?
Energy performance indicators or EnPIs are defined as a measure or unit of energy performance as defined by the organisation. This can be expressed by using a simple metric, ratio, or a model, depending on the nature of the activities being measured.
Examples of Energy Performance Indicators
Examples of EnPI’s can include:
- kWh consumed per site
- kWh per linear metre of product produced
- kWh per number of staff
- kWh per square meter of occupied office space
It is critically important to determine a suitable range of relevant EnPI’s based on the results of the energy review. EnPI’s should help to demonstrate continual improvement in either efficiency, use and/or consumption.
Energy Baselines
An energy baseline (EnB) is defined as a quantitative reference(s) providing a basis for comparison of energy performance.
An energy baseline is based on data from a specified period of time and/or conditions, as defined by the organisation.
An example of an EnB:
kWh consumed in the 2015 period. Thus, energy efficiency, use and consumption can be compared against this baseline data to determine if an improvement has been achieved.
Energy baseline(s) are used for determination of energy performance improvement, as a reference before and after, or with and without implementation of energy performance improvement actions.
It is a requirement of the standard that monitoring and measurement activities should include comparison of data against the stated baseline(s)
ISO 50015 provides additional information on measurement and verification of energy performance.
ISO 50006 provides additional information on EnPI(s) and EnBs.
Need assistance with ISO 50001? At Blackmores, we are ISO consultants and we work with clients in all industries to help them gain their ISO standards. We’d be happy to help you, simply contact us at: enquiries@blackmoresuk.com

What is an Energy Review?
An energy review is a documented analysis of energy efficiency, energy use, and energy consumption based on data and other information, leading to the identification of areas of significant energy use (SEU) and opportunities for energy performance improvement.
The energy review will help to establish energy performance indicators (EnPI’s), energy baselines and objectives and targets for improvement.
What Should an Energy Review Include?
The energy review should include:
- a) Analysis of energy use and consumption based on measurements and other data i.e.
⎯ Identify current energy sources;
⎯ Evaluate past and present energy use and consumption;
- b) Identification of the areas of significant energy use, i.e.
⎯ Identify the facilities, equipment, systems, processes and personnel working for, or on behalf of, the organization that significantly affect energy use and consumption;
⎯ Identify other relevant variables affecting significant energy uses;
⎯ Determine the current energy performance of facilities, equipment, systems and processes related to identified significant energy uses;
⎯ Estimate future energy use and consumption;
- c) Identify, prioritize and record opportunities for improving energy performance.
Opportunities can relate to potential sources of energy, the use of renewable energy, or other alternative energy sources, such as waste energy.
The energy review should be updated at defined intervals (you define what this is), as well as in response to major changes in any facilities, equipment, systems, or processes.
ISO 50001 with Blackmores ISO Consultancy
Are you looking for an ISO consultant to work with your business? We work with organisations in various industries to help them put systems in place to gain their certifications. If you need assistance with ISO 50001 we’d be happy to help, contact us at: enquiries@blackmoresuk.com
ISO50001 requires us to undertake activities to check the effectiveness of the EnMS. In this blog we will focus on ISO 50001 clause 9 – Performance Evaluation, and in particular clause 9.1 which relates to Monitoring, measurement, analysis and evaluation of energy performance and the EnMS. Along with internal audit (9.2) and management review (9.3) clause 9.1 makes up a significant part of the “checking” activities required to confirm the EnMS remains suitable, adequate and effective.
ISO 50001 Clause 9 – Performance Evaluation
ISO 50001 clause 9 – performance evaluation is split into several parts.
Clause 9.1 is broken down in to two parts and is quite prescriptive, this is for good reason; we need to ensure we are measuring the right things. The outputs of our energy review process (6.3) our objectives targets and action plans (6.2) and our energy data collection plan (6.6) provide us with the main inputs into the process.
So, let’s break down the clause, starting with 9.1.1.
As a starting point we can to identify what needs to be monitored and measured, including at a minimum the following key characteristics:
- The effectiveness of the action plans in achieving objectives and energy targets;
- Energy performance Indicators (EnPI(s));
- Operation of significant energy uses (SEUs);
- Actual versus expected energy consumption;
Once this has been established, we can define the methods for monitoring, measurement, analysis and evaluation, to ensure we get valid repeatable and reliable results;
This leads us nicely into stating when monitoring and measurement shall be performed and when the results from monitoring and measurement will be analysed and evaluated.
The final step is to evaluate data created from the implementation of the energy data collection plan with a view to drawing conclusion on energy performance and the effectiveness of the EnMS (see 6.6).
Most importantly and critical to ensuring the ability to demonstrate continual improvement is the need to confirm that improvement in energy performance has been evaluated by comparing energy performance indicator (EnPI) value(s) (see 6.4) against the corresponding baselines (EnB’s) (see 6.5).
Any significant deviations in energy performance should be identified and investigated. An enhanced requirement in ISO50001:2018 requires the organisation to retain documented information on the results of the investigation and response (see 7.5).
Finally, all this needs to be recorded, either electronically or in hard copy to demonstrate evidence that the process is being undertaken effectively. This becomes vital evidence at internal and external audits and provides information for management review (see 9.3.2 [c] 2 and 9.3.3)
The second part of 9.1 requires us to undertake an evaluation of compliance with legal requirements and other requirements at planned intervals.
Clause 9.1.2 requires us to revisit those legal and other requirements identified during the identification of needs and expectations of interested parties (4.2) and gather the necessary evidence to confirm to our own satisfaction that compliance is being maintained. This exercise is sometimes undertaken as part of the internal audit process. Again, documented information (see 7.5) on the results of the evaluation of compliance and any actions taken need to be retained and the results of this exercise inform management review inputs (see 9.3.2 [c] 4)
If you would like to learn more about what Blackmores offers – contact us today!

ISO 50001 Energy Management – Clause 6, Planning & The Energy Review Process
The requirement for energy review is one of the key clauses of the ISO50001 energy management system standard. But why do we need to do this and how do we go about it.?
Undertaking an energy review helps us to understand what energy types we are using, which of these are significant, relevant variables that might affect energy use and allows us to consider and prioritise the opportunities that when implemented can help support the achievement of energy objectives.
Conducting an energy review is a process, the requirements are broken down into energy review inputs, the energy review itself and energy review outputs.
Inputs
The first step of the process is to identify your energy types. These might be use of electricity, use of natural gas, use of fuel in your vehicle fleet. You might obtain a certain percentage of energy from renewable sources, these should also be considered at this stage.
Once you have identified your energy types you will need to gather some consumption data to determine past consumption. How far back should you go…? Ideally you will have a couple of years of reliable data for each energy type if possible, however 12 months of historical data will help to get you started.
The next step is to understand the facilities, equipment, systems or energy-using processes where this energy is being used. This will help to breakdown the data so you can see where the areas of opportunity for improvement may lie.
Energy Review
Now you have the data you can analyse it to determine consumption trends.
Once we can see the trends we can start to consider those variables that may influence energy use, efficiency and consumption. This may include variables such as external temperature change, shift patterns, production volumes, occupancy rates and the expansion of facilities.
We must also consider those personnel can have an impact on energy use. This might include management, maintenance staff, operatives or team leaders whose decisions may impact consumption.
We can then define significant energy uses (SEU’s) The standard defined these as “energy use accounting for substantial energy consumption and/or offering considerable potential for energy performance improvement.” Noting that significance is defined by the organisation and can include facilities, systems, processes, or equipment.
Once we have defined those energy uses that are deemed “significant” we can start to consider and prioritise the opportunities for improvement. Activities should be undertaken to determine the benefit from implementing the opportunity. This may relate to payback (ROI), a saving in consumption (kWh) or cost saving (£ per annum) and will lead to the prioritisation of opportunities and a reasonable assessment of expected kWh savings expected for each opportunity.
Outputs
We can now finally draw our conclusions and present these in the energy review. The requirement to maintain documented information on energy review normally leads to a report being produced. This should include conclusions on energy use and consumption trends, an estimate of future energy use, recommendations for improvement and identified significant energy uses.
In addition to this you need to define energy performance indicators, energy baselines and energy objectives, targets and action plans. Defining EnPI’s and EnB’s correctly is critical to ensuring you can accurately measure and demonstrate improvements in either consumption and/or efficiency.
Once you know which of the selected opportunities you will be implementing, the identified kWh saving expected will inform the targets and action plans, while the identification of significant energy uses will inform the objectives. All of these need to be documented, noting consideration and inclusion of those actions to address risks and opportunities identified (See clauses 4.1, 4.2, 6.1)
Finally, you now know what you want to achieve (objectives, targets and action plans) and you can create an energy data collection plan. This should include measuring those relevant variables for SEUs, energy consumption related to SEUs and to the organisation, operational criteria related to SEUs, static factors (e.g. Facility size; design of installed equipment; number of weekly shifts; range of products) and the data specified in action plans.
This should lead to the creation of a clear measurement plan showing information such as the energy type, specific meters references, frequency of measurement and the responsibility for undertaking measurement activities.
Ensuring that the energy review process is robust and regularly reviewed will provide the basis for an effective EnMS and with top management support (5.1) and the necessary resources (7.1) can drive continual improvement in energy performance for many years to come.
If you would like more information – contact Blackmores today!
What’s the Difference Between the 2011 and 2018 versions of ISO 50001?
ISO 50001:2018 is based on Annex SL – the new ISO high level structure (HLS) that brings a common framework to all management systems, i.e. it applies a common language across all standards.
This helps to keep consistency, supports alignment of different management system standards, e.g. ISO9001, ISO14001, etc. With the new standard in place, organisations will find it easier to incorporate their energy management system into core business processes and get more involvement from top management.
The main change organisations who hold ISO50001:2011 will see are the requirements in clause 4.
Clause 4 relates to the context of the organisation and requires organisations to consider their relevant internal and external issues and consider the needs and expectations of interested parties who could be affected by the management system.
When establishing the scope and boundaries of certification, it is now made explicit that organisations cannot exclude any energy type at this stage.
Clause 5 relates to Leadership. The requirement for a management representative has been removed and requirements for leadership have been enhanced. This helps to ensure that energy is considered by top management and becomes a strategic issue for the organisation.
Clause 6 relates to planning. This is undertaken at a strategic and tactical level via determining actions to address risks and opportunities identified and via the undertaking of an energy review which leads to the development of objectives, action plans, Energy performance indicators (EnPI’s) and energy baselines (EnB’s) The final part of clause 6 requires us to establish a energy data collection plan.
Clause 7 relates to support and brings together the requirements to provide resources, define competencies, deliver awareness, communication and documented information as deemed necessary to ensure the EnMS is effective.
Clause 8 relates to operation, this consolidates design, procurement and operational controls relating to the facilities and equipment defined in the scope and boundaries of certification. This extends to the procurement of energy which can increasingly include a mix of energy from renewable sources.
Clause 9 relates to performance evaluation. This requires us to implement the energy data collection plan from clause 6 and undertake the actions necessary to monitor and measure, conduct internal audits and undertake management review. We recommend taking time to review and update your management review process in line with clause 9.3 of the 2018 revision.
Clause 10 relates to improvement. The term preventive action has been removed from the standard, however via determining issues (4.1) interested parties needs and expectations and legal requirements (4.2) and via taking actions to address risks and opportunities (6.1) organisations can demonstrate continual improvement in energy performance.
If you would like to learn more – contact Blackmores today!

ISO 50001 Energy Management – Understanding the Context of The Organisation
One of the major changes in ISO 50001 is the restructuring of the standard around ISO’s high level structure. This helps to align ISO 50001 with the other mainstream standards.
However, for those organisations who only have an existing ISO 50001:2011 certification in place or if you are implementing ISO 50001:2018 for the first time then this clause may be causing some confusion. So what does context of the organisation mean..?
ISO 50001 Energy Management Context of The Organisation
The clause is broken down into 4 parts:
- 4.1 Understanding the organization and its context
- 4.2 Understanding the needs and expectations of interested parties
- 4.3 Determining the scope of the energy management system
- 4.4 Energy management system
If we work through clause 4 from start to finish we will have identified those relevant issues that are affecting us and identified the needs and expectations of our interested parties, including those that are considered legal requirements, defined the scope of certification and identified the EnMS processes and their interactions.
So commencing with 4.1. A review of annex A4 in ISO 50001 provides us with a steer to determining issues.
External Issues
Examples of external issues can include:
- issues related to interested parties such as existing national or sector objectives, requirements or standards;
- restrictions or limitations on energy supply, security and reliability;
- energy costs or the availability of types of energy;
- effects of weather;
- effects of climate change;
- effect on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Internal Issues
Examples of internal issues can include:
- core business objectives and strategy;
- asset management plans;
- financial resource (labour, financial, etc.) affecting the organization;
- energy management maturity and culture;
- sustainability considerations;
- contingency plans for interruptions in energy supply;
- maturity of existing technology;
- operational risks and liability considerations.
Determining Issues
SWOT and /or PESTLE analysis can be also considered as an effective tool for determining issues, equally a robust business plan should include consideration of issues relating to energy supply and use as part of effective business planning. Note, at this stage we only need to identify the issues, however we will return to our issues when we address clause 6.1.
A simple table can be used to capture the needs and expectations of interested parties which addresses 4.2 a), b) and c), or you may use other techniques such as stakeholder mapping or questionnaires to establish their needs. Useful online resources such as www.legislation.gov.uk can be used to identify the relevant legislation, other sources include https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/energy-act
Once 4.1 and 4.2 have been effectively addressed, you have the information required to establish the scope and boundaries of certification, noting that in the revision of ISO 50001 no energy sources can be initially excluded from certification at this stage.
The organisation shall ensure that it has the authority to control its energy efficiency, energy use and energy consumption within the scope and boundaries. The organisation shall not exclude an energy type within the scope and boundaries.
The boundaries of certification can be considered to be the physical sites, buildings, facilities and physical assets that will be included in the management system.
The scope and boundaries need to be maintained as documented information, so consider where this will be documented within the management system.
Once the scope and boundaries are defined you can then consider the processes that will be included in the EnMS. If we consider that processes will include inputs (raw materials, energy etc) , outputs (products and services) and require resources in the form of people to support them we can map out these processes and ultimately decide whether they sit inside or outside the scope and boundaries of certification. Again, consider documenting this information to help you when undertaking energy review and when determining the relevant operational controls and monitoring and measurement requirements needed to maintain the EnMS.
Contact Blackmores today to find out more!
ISO 50001:2018 has been published
The International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) has recently published ISO 50001:2018, the revised standard for energy management. ISO 50001:2018 has been revised to follow ISO’s common framework and High Level Structure (HLS) used for management system standards. This change will make it easier to integrate with other management system certifications, such as ISO 9001 and ISO 14001. Those that are already certified to the 2011 version of the standard will have 3 years to transition to the 2018 version.
What is the difference between the 2011 and 2018 standards?
ISO 50001:2018 is based on Annex SL – the new ISO high level structure (HLS) that brings a common framework to all management systems, i.e. it applies a common language across all standards.
This helps to keep consistency, supports alignment of different management system standards, e.g. ISO9001, ISO14001, etc. With the new standard in place, organisations will find it easier to incorporate their energy management system into core business processes and get more involvement from top management.
Other changes include:-
- New clause for understanding the organization and its context (4.1)
- New clause for systematic determination of the needs and expectations of interested parties (4.2)
- Strengthened emphasis on leadership and top management commitment
- Addition of Risk and opportunity management
- Addition of Competence (7.2)
- Extended requirements related to communications (7.4)
- Additions to Operational planning and control (8.1)
- Monitoring, measurement, analysis and evaluation of energy performance and the EnMS (9.1)
- Additions to Management review (9.3)
How your company can benefit from adopting ISO 50001
If energy use is one of your organisations significant environmental aspects, then an Energy management system (EnMS) may provide additional benefit and enhanced focus on energy management.
Application of ISO50001 contributes to more efficient use of available energy sources, to enhanced competitiveness and to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and other related environmental impacts. ISO50001 is applicable irrespective of the types of energy used, e.g. electricity, gas, diesel, petrol etc…
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What is ISO 50001:2018?
The ISO 50001 energy management standard specifies requirements for an organisation to establish, implement, maintain and improve an Energy Management System (EnMS), enabling the organisation to take a systematic approach to achieving continual improvement of energy performance.
ISO 50001 is an ideal tool for helping your organisation to establish the systems and processes necessary for achieving improved energy efficiency, financial savings and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, through systematic management of energy.
This webinar was held on the 8th October 2018 and covers the following:-
- What is ISO 50001:2018?
- What’s the difference between the 2011 and 2018 standards?
- What are the benefits of ISO 50001:2018?
- How Blackmores can help you to achieve ISO 50001 certification
Do you need assistance with ISO 50001? We’d be happy to help, simply contact us on: enquiries@blackmoresuk.com


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