2020 Energy Management Leadership Competition Opens Now
Tell Us How Your Organization Has Won with ISO 50001
The Energy Management Leadership Awards program is now accepting entries for the 2020 global competition. Any facility or organization with a current ISO 50001 certificate from an accredited body may enter. The Energy Management Working Group (EMWG) of the Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM) runs this prestigious competition to raise global awareness of the many benefits provided by an ISO 50001-certified energy management system.
Now in its fifth year, the competition has recognized the achievements of 154 organizations with certified systems in 105 countries and across 45 sectors, from cement and petrochemicals to textiles and power plants—and from food processing and data centers to transport and hospitality. Companies around the world use the ISO 50001 standard to achieve energy, economic, and sustainability benefits that boost competitiveness. The flexible standard offers a business-friendly way to align corporate objectives with national climate and energy goals. In terms of sites certified, ISO 50001 is now the fourth most widely used of all the ISO standards.
“Energy efficiency has potential to reduce pressures on energy supply systems and deliver cost savings to customers and businesses,” Christian Zinglersen, head of the Clean Energy Ministerial Secretariat said. “While there is recognition that wasting less energy is the right thing to do, more action is needed now and fast by governments and the private sector to accelerate global efforts in this space.”
To enter the competition, each organization must submit a structured case study describing its energy management experience and the resulting benefits. These case studies enable companies at all stages of experience with ISO 50001 to tell their unique stories and share tips or best practices. All submissions are evaluated by an independent panel of acclaimed international experts.
Top entries will receive the prestigious CEM 2020 Award of Excellence for Energy Management (only 13 organizations have enjoyed this honor to date). These 2020 award winners will be invited to the awards ceremony during the 11th Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM11) in Viña del Mar, Chile, from June 2-4, 2020.
Beyond the Award of Excellence, each organization that submits a qualifying entry will receive an Energy Management Insight Award for inspiring other organizations to explore the benefits of energy management systems. Top-ranked submissions from each country will also be communicated to the appropriate country governments, which may offer national energy management awards of their own.
The submission deadline is 11 February 2020. Interested parties are encouraged to visit the CEM Energy Management Leadership Awards website at www.cleanenergyministerial.org/EMAwards to learn more about the competition rules, entry format, scoring, and recognition. Previous award-winning entries are available by year under Publications.
“Accumulating evidence of severe climate impacts highlights the need to rapidly reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions,” said Tareq Emtairah, Director of the Energy Department at the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). “UNIDO salutes those industry leaders who are making the effort to improve their energy performance continually. By recognizing companies who are leading by example, the Energy Management Leadership Awards showcase the business and environmental value of energy management.”
CEM analysis shows that broad global adoption of ISO 50001 across service and industrial sectors could lead to cumulative energy savings of about 105 exajoules by 2030—saving more than USD 700 billion in energy costs and avoiding 6,500 million metric tons of CO2 emissions. The annual projected avoided emissions are equivalent to removing 215 million passenger vehicles from the road.
The Energy Management Leadership Awards are organized by the CEM Energy Management Working Group (EMWG), which includes energy ministry and delegate representatives from Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, China, Denmark, the European Commission, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, the Republic of Korea, United Arab Emirates, and the United States. The EMWG was launched in 2010 by the CEM and International Partnership for Energy Efficiency Cooperation, and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) serves as the EMWG Operating Agent.