ISO 50100 – Energy Management Systems and Energy Savings – Decarbonization

Obtain the ISO 50100 standard and review related energy management frameworks such as ISO 50001.

• Develop a decarbonization strategy.
• Put together a team and define your strategy: The introduction of a structured decarbonization approach in accordance with ISO 50100 should be a strategic decision for the entire organizationn. Top management must be involved in this decision, take responsibility and play an active role in shaping it. determines which business objectives are to be supported by the reduction of energy-related greenhouse gas emissions (ERGE) and how decarbonization fits into your company’s overall strategy.
• For successful implementation, you will also need a dedicated team to develop, implement and continuously maintain the decarbonization approach in accordance with ISO 50100.

• Determine the necessary competence requirements:
  Firstly, the team responsible for implementing and maintaining ISO 50100 needs a sound understanding of the standard’s requirements, the ERGE methodology, and the underlying data and calculation methods.
• Furthermore, it is important to raise awareness of decarbonization, climate targets and energy-related emissions throughout the organization. DNV offers a wide range of public and in-house training courses worldwide, covering all skill levels and providing targeted support to your organization in building competence within the context of ISO 50100.

• External experts can provide effective support in interpreting the requirements of ISO 50100 and offer valuable insights for a structured and practical approach to decarbonization.
• DNV’s free online self-assessment provides you with an initial indication of your organization’s maturity in managing energy-related greenhouse gas emissions (ERGE) and in implementing a systematic decarbonization approach in accordance with ISO 50100.

• Map your design and procurement processes and systematically incorporate energy efficiency and decarbonization aspects into requirements, tenders, supplier selection and performance monitoring.
• Establish clear responsibilities and structured, traceable documentation to enable consistent, transparent and robust decision-making in the context of ERGE reduction.
• Establish procedures and processes that reflect your organization’s decarbonization targets and support their implementation in day-to-day operations.

• Clear communication and targeted competence and awareness-raising measures are key success factors. During the implementation phase, ensure that your organization operates in accordance with the defined and documented processes.
• Once successfully implemented, you can demonstrate the compliance and effectiveness of your decarbonization approach in accordance with ISO 50100 and prove that your organization systematically manages and reduces its energy-related greenhouse gas emissions as part of its energy management system

Choose a certification body such as DNV to assess the extent to which you meet the requirements of ISO 50100.

No, ISO 50100 is not a certifiable standard like the energy management system standard ISO 50001. Being a guideline standard, the standard defines requirements and guidance for a structured decarbonization approach, as well as for the quantification, monitoring and reduction of energy-related greenhouse gas emissions (ERGE). It does not contain any requirements for the certification of management systems nor any specifications for certification bodies (e.g. analogous to ISO 50003). ISO 50100 does, however, enable the validation and verification of ERGE-related statements, e.g.: on decarbonization plans, base year ERGE or on achieved ERGE reductions based on historical data.

ISO 50100 provides organizations with a standards-based, transparent and internationally harmonized framework for systematically managing and reducing energy-related greenhouse gas emissions. Key benefits include:

• A structured approach to decarbonization
• Comparability and transparency
• Alignment with climate targets
• Use of existing energy management data
• Robust basis for reporting and claims

ISO 50100 complements, but does not replace, ISO 50001. While ISO 50001 focuses on improving energy performance through a certifiable management system, ISO 50100 adds a decarbonization perspective by targeting energy-related greenhouse gas emissions (ERGE). It builds on ISO 50001 processes and data, linking energy efficiency improvements with emissions reduction and broader decarbonization measures.

ISO 50100 addresses energy-related greenhouse gas emissions (ERGE) within a defined decarbonization boundary. This includes:

• Scope 1 ERGE (energy-related direct emissions),
• Scope 2 ERGE (purchased energy),
• optional Scope 3 ERGE, provided these are energy-related and are included by the organizationOrganization.

The inclusion and scoping of emissions must be documented and justified.

Yes,  ISO 50100 can be applied independently of ISO 50001. However, the standard is designed in such a way that organizations with an existing energy management system benefit particularly, as:

• existing energy, consumption and monitoring data can be utilised,
  existing processes (e.g. planning, monitoring, management review) can be directly integrated.

Organizations without ISO 50001 must establish these structures independently within the framework of ISO 50100.