This step is relevant to section 4.3 in the ISO 50001-2011 standard.
The energy policy is top management’s statement of its intentions with respect to your organization’s energy performance. The commitments stated in the policy set the direction for energy management activities and provide the framework for using energy objectives and targets to achieve energy performance improvements. It is documented and communicated to personnel across all levels of the organization, including on-site contractors.
Organizations which have implemented ISO 9001 and/or ISO 140001 management systems may want to consider integrating the energy policy with their quality or environmental policy statements.
How to do it
The following tasks will help you implement the energy policy requirements of ISO 50001:
The energy policy must state top management’s commitments to:
achieving continual improvement in energy performance
ensuring the information and resources needed to meet energy objectives and targets
compliance with applicable legal requirements and other energy-related requirements subscribed to by your organization
In addition, the energy policy must support:
the purchasing of energy efficient products and services, and
energy performance improvement in design activities
The policy may be only a few sentences or several paragraphs. Usually, simpler and shorter is better, but it needs to include the commitments listed above and be appropriate to the nature and extent of your organization’s energy use and consumption. Shorter policies can be easier for personnel to understand.
Sometimes top management or the energy team will incorporate additional commitments into the energy policy (e.g. sustainability; reductions in greenhouse gas emissions; ENERGY STAR) that are not required by ISO 50001. This is acceptable; however, remember that what is stated in the policy must be demonstrated. In other words, if you say it then you must do it.
The energy policy must be documented. Typically, the energy team prepares an initial draft of the energy policy for top management’s consideration and approval.
An Example Energy Policy shows how mnemonics can be used to phrase top management’s commitments. In this case, the mnemonic REDUCE is used to facilitate employee awareness and understanding of the policy. The Energy Policy Worksheets can help your team draft the energy policy.
1.7.2 Approve the energy policy
As a statement of your organization’s intentions, top management must take “ownership” of the energy policy. This includes ensuring that the energy policy is aligned with the strategic direction of the organization. Evidence of top management’s approval of the energy policy can take a variety of forms, from a simple signature and date to a recorded meeting decision.
Once approved and communicated, the energy policy is reviewed regularly and updated as needed. This is accomplished through the management review process (see Step 5.1).
1.7.3 Communicate the energy policy
The initial communication of the energy policy should be done by top management (see Step 1.8). This establishes energy as an organizational priority and demonstrates management’s responsibility to communicate the importance of energy management across your organization.
The energy policy is also incorporated into employee training and ongoing energy awareness communications. Often, communication aids are used to reinforce employee awareness of the energy policy. Examples include:
posters
wallet or ID cards
magnets
coffee mugs
mouse pads
screen savers
Communication of the energy policy to on-site contractors and suppliers is addressed in Step 3.4.
Resources & Examples
These implementation resources can help you define the energy policy:
The following resources provide information needed to understand EnMS documentation and make decisions on what documents and records are needed for your EnMS.
The following resource is designed primarily for organizations that plan to seek third-party certification to ISO 50001-2011. It helps you understand how to check and use your EnMS records to demonstrate the implementation of the system (you are doing what you say), and the effectiveness of the system in generating the intended results (what you are doing is working).
