Do I Need ISO 14001 or ISO 50001 Certification, What is the Difference?

When implementing changes to comply with current environmental legislation and assist the development of becoming a greener business you may find yourself faced with the question of whether ISO 14001 or ISO 50001 Certification will assist you best in achieving this?

Knowing which one to choose for your business can be hard, especially when you are new to ISO Certifications and Standards. That’s why QMS have broken down the components of each standard, highlighting both the similarities and differences, helping you to ensure that you have chosen the best one for your business.

Similarities
When looking at the similarities that exist between these ISO Certifications it is important to realize that both ISO Certifications are Management System Standards. This means that both require your organization to implement a Management system which entails regular management reviews, as well as internal and external audits.

As with all Management Standards there is a strong emphasis on staff training and competence. Staff training records will need to be introduced, demonstrating that all staff have received adequate training in order to carry out responsibilities when it comes to Energy and Environmental responses.

In addition to the above, both standards also look at your legal obligations and requirements, they look at how Environmental and Energy Performance requirements are translated into operational controls and they also make sure that what is happening on the ground translates into performance.

This means that both standards will enable you to improve business interaction with the Environment, in the case of ISO 14001 and with Energy, in the case of ISO 50001.
Further similarities that have been noted between these two management standards include:
- The introduction of preliminary reviews (Where results should be documented before further processes begin).
- The production of objectives and targets (With an associated action plan being created for the ISO 50001, and a method statement for the ISO 14001)
- Monitoring and measuring becoming part of both Environmental and Energy related processes.

Differences
With so many similarities, you may well be surprised to know that there are still many differences that remain between these standards. It is through these differences that you can truly establish which standard will be more valuable for your organization in the long run; with both standards identifying cost savings, assisting compliance with future and current environmental obligations and improving efficiency when integrated properly.
As you may have guessed by its name, the ISO 50001 Standard goes into a lot more detail with regards to Energy. It does not just focus on the Energy you use, but it also takes into consideration energy performance, efficiency and consumption.

The ISO 50001 Standards also requires that certified organization identify their energy baseline (This is a measure of your current energy consumption), furthermore, the ISO 50001 requires your organization to introduce performance indicators (Such as the amount of KwH of electricity you use in a given period).

ISO 14001 on the other hand takes a much broader look at your environmental impact. This means that it can be applied to any aspect of your organization which could have an effect on the environment; these activities include your energy consumption, your use of natural resources and also your management of waste.

Another aspect of ISO 14001 that should be addressed during this comparison is its requirement for certified organizations to evaluate suppliers of products for environmental compatibility. This is different to the ISO 50001, which introduces specific requirements for procurement of energy services, product and equipment.

ISO 50001 also introduces design requirements for energy performance. This can range from building design and energy efficiency to alternatives considered when designing any new or modified equipment, plant facilities or buildings; with energy conscious design instilled into all aspects of design projects.

Summary
There may well be a lot of similarities between these two management standards, but there are also some clear and valuable differences.
In addition to this, auditing both standards does not require an audit of your environmental or energy performance. Instead, audits are focused on evaluating the systems you have in place to manage, monitor and control aspects of your organization which have a direct impact on your Energy and Environmental performance.

Source: BSI