Accelerating the green hydrogen revolution at COP26
Introducing the Green Hydrogen Organisation (GH2)
We are facing a climate emergency. Instead of declining rapidly, the world is set to produce more than twice the amount of fossil fuels in 2030 than would be consistent with limiting global warming to 1.5°C.
Fossil fuels must be replaced urgently in our energy system. Green hydrogen is part of the answer.
Global action is needed for:
- An urgent and massive scale up in the production and use of green hydrogen.
- The price of green hydrogen to compete with dirty fossil fuels and fossil fuel-derived grey and blue hydrogen.
- Government policies and standards to promote the uptake of green hydrogen rather than blue and grey hydrogen. This should include strong carbon pricing mechanisms and the removal of fossil fuel subsidies.
- The $100 billion in climate finance committed to developing countries to prioritise sustainable green hydrogen.
Green hydrogen is produced by splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen using renewable electricity through a process called electrolysis. This results in zero or close to zero carbon emissions.
The good news is that people have begun to talk seriously about green hydrogen as a solution to decarbonise fossil fuel-heavy sectors like steel and cement-making, fertilizer production, shipping, long-haul aviation and trucking.
All over the world – including in lower income and emerging economies where the majority of future CO2 emissions growth is projected – green hydrogen can unlock the promise of a clean energy future for all. According to the United Nations, 759 million people still live without electricity. Green hydrogen promises to deliver greater energy independence to lower income countries without natural endowments of fossil fuels. For those countries which have depended on income from oil and gas in the past, this expertise and infrastructure can be repurposed towards green hydrogen and help to reduce exposure to price volatility and supply disruptions, as we have seen most recently with global gas prices.
This is where the Green Hydrogen Organisation (GH2) comes in!
We are spearheading a global effort to accelerate the green hydrogen revolution.
From COP26 in Glasgow to the first ever Green Hydrogen Global Summit and Assembly co-hosted by the Spanish government in Barcelona in May 2022 we are:
- Developing the GH2 Green Hydrogen Standard which will certify truly green hydrogen on an emissions basis, include rigorous environmental, social and governance performance targets, and require impact in line with the UN’s sustainable development goals (SDGs).
- Putting in place the GH2 Green Hydrogen Development Plan which will bring together developing country governments, international finance institutions and other development actors in building, sharing and promoting development policies to enable a rapid acceleration in the production and use of sustainable green hydrogen to meet the SDGs.
- Launching the GH2 Green Hydrogen Charter – a set of principles where committed governments can come together to share best practice and ensure their national hydrogen strategies prioritise green hydrogen.
- Hosting the GH2 Green Hydrogen CEO Roundtable - a forum for industry leadership and collaboration along the green hydrogen supply chain.