Regulations often push utility energy efficiency programs to achieve energy savings one installation or capital upgrade at a time. This ad-hoc approach reduces energy use, but it is an inefficient way to achieve significant or enduring energy savings that go beyond equipment performance. To attain meaningful and continual energy and emission reductions, opportunities to integrate a strategic approach to energy management across an organization must be sought out. In 2017, NYSERDA launched a five-year strategic energy management (SEM) pilot to help industrial facilities reduce their energy use and sustain those savings through small changes in operations, organizational commitment, and employee engagement. Because SEM addresses the human factor in managing and optimizing energy use, strategically and as part of a routine work process, the effective deployment of SEM can result in enduring energy savings with little to no upfront investments. It also serves as a vital lens for organizations to best align corporate climate and emissions reduction goals alongside sustainable operations and building decarbonization strategies. Collectively, participating facilities in the NYSERDA pilot achieved 58.6 GWh and 377,948 MMBtu in modeled savings, reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by an estimated 63,690 metric tons. Notably, this magnitude of savings was attained through immediate low- and no-cost measures. Beyond energy-related metrics, the pilot also provided many other direct benefits, including training and workforce development, and targeted investments in disadvantaged communities where industrial facilities are typically sited. Further, insights drawn from the pilot point to how SEM program design can go even deeper by reimagining organizational wide engagement tactics and SEM delivery. Not all of these real-world, tangible benefits fit into classic energy efficiency program evaluation criteria. This presentation will offer guidance collected through the NYSERDA pilot on how to address that gap and accurately value behavior change in responsibly managing and reducing energy consumption.