2021 Energy Management Leadership Awards is now open!

The Energy Management Leadership Awards program is now accepting submissions for the 2021 competition. Any facility or organization holding a current ISO 50001 certificate from an accredited body is encouraged to enter. The Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM) runs this prestigious global contest to raise awareness of ISO 50001-certified energy management systems and the many benefits they provide.

Now in its sixth year, the competition has recognized achievements by 200 organizations with certified systems in 105 countries or economies and across 50 sectors—from cement, iron and steel, chemical manufacturing, and power plants to airports, municipalities, healthcare systems, and hospitality companies. Organizations around the world use the ISO 50001 standard to achieve energy, economic, and sustainability benefits that boost competitiveness. Past awardees credit the competition with increasing senior management support for further investment in additional energy savings.

“Energy management systems can efficiently lower energy demand and reduce costs to customers and businesses,” said Dan Dorner, head of the Clean Energy Ministerial Secretariat. “While everyone recognizes the need to stop wasting energy, governments and the private sector must act now to accelerate global efforts that slow the pace and severity of climate impacts. The CEM community values the Energy Management Leadership Awards very highly and looks forward to the 2021 edition. These awards fit well with the CEM’s upcoming work on industry deep-decarbonisation that is being launched at CEM12 on 1 June.”

To enter the competition, each organization must submit a structured case study describing its energy management experience and the ensuing benefits. These case studies enable companies at all stages of familiarity 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.

The top entries will receive the prestigious CEM 2021 Award of Excellence in Energy Management. This global award brings high-profile government recognition and media attention to organizations that transform the way they use energy. All other qualifying entries will receive an Energy Management Insight Award for sharing the diverse benefits of energy management systems. In addition, some national governments offer their own energy management awards based on the CEM case study submissions received from their country.

The submission deadline is 16 August 2021. Interested parties are invited to visit the CEM Energy Management Leadership Awards website to learn about the competition rules, entry format, scoring, and recognition. Previous award-winning entries are available on this same page, listed by year under Publications.

“Energy management systems can help organizations navigate their way toward decarbonization, which is now imperative to avoid the worst impacts of climate change,” said Tareq Emtairah, Director of the Energy Department at the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). “UNIDO salutes all industry leaders who work to continually improve their energy performance. By recognizing these companies who lead by example, the Energy Management Leadership Awards pave the way for many more organizations to adopt a robust energy management system and reap environmental and business benefits.”

The flexible ISO 50001 standard offers a business-friendly way to align corporate objectives with national climate and energy goals. CEM analysis suggests 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 carbon dioxide emissions. The annual projected avoided emissions are equivalent to removing 215 million passenger vehicles from the road. In terms of sites certified, ISO 50001 is the fifth most widely used of all the ISO standards.