6 December 2021
BSI, in its role as the UK National Standards Body is partnering with the Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), who are sponsoring up to 100,000 free downloads of a new energy management standard. This standard is available to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) who make a climate commitment through the UK’s SME Climate Hub.
Just one in five of the UK’s small businesses have committed to a net zero target, in contrast to larger organizations1. Yet, SMEs account for 99.9% of the UK business population2. Climate action taken by this business community can drive real and transformative progress towards the UK’s 2050 net zero target.
Energy management is crucial to all organizations as it controls costs, like energy bills, and minimizes Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions. Making the changes necessary to reduce emissions can be particularly challenging for SMEs due to a combination of fewer resources and an array of other operational pressures1.
The recently published standard, BS ISO 50005, simplifies the implementation of an energy management system. The guide provides resource-constrained organizations with a means to develop a practical, low-cost approach to energy management. Use of a phased approach can enable quick wins to be achieved in reducing energy usage and allow businesses to build upon these successes over time.
Minister for Energy, Clean Growth and Climate Change, Greg Hands, said: “This partnership will enable businesses across the country to actively monitor and manage their energy performance – helping lower their carbon footprint and save money on energy bills.
“Small and medium-sized businesses are the backbone of our economy and with the world moving to a greener, brighter future, the UK business community has a unique opportunity to come together to tackle climate change.”
Scott Steedman, Director-General, Standards, BSI said: “We recognize that there has never been a more important time for organizations to take climate action and reduce their GHG emissions. Small and medium sized businesses urgently require clear guidance and metrics to take the first step on their net zero journeys and help the UK meets its 2050 target.
“As the UK National Standards Body, we are proud to be working with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy to make BS ISO 50005 freely available to 100,000 SMEs. The guide provides simple and practical steps to establish a phased approach to implement an energy management system. This consensus best practice standard empowers organizations to take action, building trust and resilience to accelerate the transition to a net zero future.”
Organizations will receive access to the free Energy Management standard, upon signing up to the Climate Commitment at: https://smeclimatehub.org/sme-climate-commitment/
