Differences between ISO 14001 and ISO 50001 standards

 

ISO 14001 Certification in South Africa (Environmental Management Systems – Needs with Guidance for Use), helps companies to manage attitude of their operations that can impact the environment. Examples include water and materials use, waste disposal, air emissions and energy use.

Efficiency use often has significant environmental impacts, including depletion of natural resources (gas, oil, fossil fuels), greenhouse gas emissions and global warming. See also the article Catalogue of environmental aspects to find out which aspect ISO 14001 considers.

ISO 50001 (Energy Management Systems – Needs with Guidance for Use), in contrast, helps companies to optimize their energy performance. Some users have wondered why ISO 50001 was necessary when Efficiency use, as an environmental aspect, is already covered in ISO 14001.

So, how does ISO 50001 differ from ISO 14001?

The scope of the standards

ISO 14001 and ISO 50001 standards provide a systematic approach to protect the environment through policy, objectives and action plans to achieve intended outcomes. After all, the two standards have different scopes: ISO 14001 has a broader scope cover all environmental aspects. ISO 50001 narrows in on energy use, covering design and procurement practices for equipment, systems, processes and personnel that impact energy performance. ISO 14001 covers these too, but only in general terms, and to the extent that they impact overall environmental performance.

How they differ in the structure?

Both standards are based on the familiar Plan-Do-Check-Act model. However, the structures are presently very different because ISO 50001 in Qatar was modeled on the nearly obsolete ISO 14001:2004, which has since been revised to ISO 14001:2015. For also about that transition, you can find in the article 12 steps to make the transition from ISO 14001:2004 to 2015 revision. The present ISO 50001:2011 is under revision to align with this new structure.

Planning, operation and checking

For an auto garage with mechanics conducting vehicle repairs, ISO 14001 certification in Qatar would need them to identify that such work may result in oil spillages which could cause land degradation. The employees must know how to prevent or minimize harm to the environment by implementing controls, such as the installation of an oil interceptor and an effluent treatment process to treat the contaminated water before release. The effluent treatment plant itself would require associated aspects and impacts (such as ground water pollution from leakages as storage and transportation, air pollution from emissions due to chemical reactions and sludge and waste oil disposal) to be identified and controlled. Controls might include bonded storage tanks, and the treated effluent quality would need to be checked before release.

A Company using a lot of energy might choose ISO 50001. If using electroplating baths to coat metal objects, they may set a goal to improve their energy efficiency. An Energy performance indicator (EnPI) (required by Clause 4.4.5) would be the amount of energy needed to produce a unit (energy intensity). They would first measure the energy consumption per unit over a specific time period to establish an energy baseline (Clause 4.4.4). This would be used to measure the effectiveness of their interventions, taking into account factors that drive consumption, such as production volume. They might then install technology to increase output per unit of energy, and monitor the EnPI over time.

Although ISO 14001 does not require, or refer to an equivalent “Environmental Review”, it is necessary to conduct a similar process (discussed in Annex A to ISO 14001:2015, clause A6.1.2, Environmental aspects) in order to establish a ‘baseline’ or starting point.

Difference in perception

Since ISO 50001 certification in South Africa focuses on optimizing energy consumption, it’s directly linked to reducing energy costs. Thus, it’s easy for decision-makers to see the benefits of ISO 50001. In its introduction, ISO 14001:2015 mentions that one potential aim is “achieving financial benefits.” Still, many Company’s perceive ISO 14001 as an obligation, either imposed by interested parties, or a self-imposed encumbrance useful as a marketing tool. Thus for ISO 50001, the half-hearted approach applied to ISO 14001 is often replaced by more commitment and involvement from top management because the effect on their bottom line is clear.

Documentation

ISO 50001 in Philippines has a more demanding list of mandatory documented information than ISO 14001, including an energy planning process, energy review including methodology and criteria, baseline, EnPIs and energy purchasing specifications. To learn more about this topic, check the article List of mandatory documents required by ISO 14001:2015.

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