Green Hydrogen Organisation Board meets ahead of key Climate Summit

_{Press Release - 28 October 2021} 

LONDON – The inaugural board meeting of the Green Hydrogen Organisation (GH2) was held today at a critical moment just days before the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow. 

GH2 was launched in September 2021 and is spearheading a global effort to dramatically accelerate the uptake of green hydrogen to rapidly decarbonise industries like steel, cement, fertilisers, shipping and aviation.  

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. 

GH2 Chair and Former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said:

“The climate emergency is upon us. Instead of rapidly reducing the production of fossil fuels, the world is set to produce more than twice the amount in 2030 than is consistent with limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees. We must urgently replace fossil fuels in our energy system. Green hydrogen is an essential part of the solution.” 

At the COP26 Climate Summit in Glasgow next week, the GH2 board is calling for:  

• An urgent and massive scale up in the production and use of green hydrogen. 

• The price of green hydrogen to compete with 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.  

The GH2 board today endorsed four key initiatives which will help drive the growth of sustainable green hydrogen globally: a Green Hydrogen Standard which will certify truly green hydrogen and distinguish it from carbon-emitting blue and grey hydrogen; the Green Hydrogen Development Plan which will bring together developing country governments, international finance institutions and other development actors to accelerate green hydrogen in line with the UN’s sustainable development goals (SDGs); the Green Hydrogen Charter which is a set of principles where committed governments can come together to prioritise green hydrogen; the Green Hydrogen CEO Roundtable which is a forum for industry leadership and collaboration along the green hydrogen supply chain. 

Jonas Moberg, CEO of the GH2 said: “We have no time to waste. With this mandate from our board we will now take green hydrogen to the next level through innovative diplomacy, partnership, entrepreneurship and modern governance to enable a rapid shift to producing and using green hydrogen around the world.” 

ENDS