ISO 50001:2018 specifies requirements for establishing, implementing, maintaining, and improving an energy management system, with the purpose of enabling an organization to systematically achieve continual improvement of energy performance, including energy efficiency, energy use, and energy consumption.

ISO 50001:2018 specifies requirements that can be applied to energy use and consumption, including measurement, documentation, and reporting, design, and procurement of equipment, systems, processes, and personnel that contribute to energy performance.

The standard is applicable to all variables affecting energy performance that an organization can monitor and influence.

ISO 50001:2018 does not set specific energy performance criteria.
It is designed to be used independently but can be aligned or integrated with other management systems.

The standard can be applied to any organization aiming to ensure its compliance with the stated energy policy and to demonstrate this compliance to others, either through self-evaluation and self-declaration methods or through certification of the energy management system by an external organization.