A number of flagship initiatives have been launched at a COP28 High-level Roundtable on Hydrogen to accelerate commercialisation of hydrogen and the development of cross-border value chains for hydrogen and its derivatives
They include
• Intergovernmental Declaration of Intent on Mutual Recognition of Certification Schemes for Hydrogen and Hydrogen Derivatives covering over 80% of the future global market in hydrogen and its derivatives
• ISO methodology providing a global benchmark for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions assessment of hydrogen pathways on a life-cycle analysis basis
• Public-Private Action Statement on cross-border trade corridors in hydrogen and derivatives in partnership with the International Hydrogen Trade Forum (IHTF) and the Hydrogen Council.
Participants at the Roundtable included Ministerial officials of prospective hydrogen importing and exporting countries as well as a delegation of the Hydrogen Council CEOs representing global industrial leaders in hydrogen. The High-Level Roundtable featured addresses from United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM), International Energy Agency (IEA), International for Standardisation (ISO) and International Partnership for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells in the Economy (IPHE).
Dr. Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), said, “Today is a very important day for low-emissions hydrogen. The flagship initiative that the COP28 Presidency has presented can be a vital catalyst for accelerating clean energy transitions. I warmly welcome the Public-Private Action Statement, which builds on the collaborative efforts of the IEA, the co-chairs of the International Hydrogen Trade Forum, UNIDO and the Hydrogen Council. The IEA will continue to support governments around the world in leveraging the economic, energy security and climate opportunities offered by low-emissions hydrogen.”
Laurent Antoni, executive director of IPHE, said, “These flagship initiatives are an important step in strengthening the political commitment to ongoing global cooperation on developing practical solutions for mutual recognition of hydrogen and hydrogen derivatives certification schemes, based on a robust ISO methodology and a robust platform for technical collaboration coordinated by IPHE and the Hydrogen Technology Collaboration Program (TCP).”
Sanjiv Lamba, CEO of Linde plc and Hydrogen Council Co-Chair, added, “Through collaborating across borders, and between public and private sector organisations, we help create the right framework for a global hydrogen economy. It will be the foundation for scaling up the clean hydrogen value chain and creating opportunities to accelerate decarbonisation and the energy transition.”
In connection with these initiatives, the Hydrogen Council signed a partnership agreement with the International Hydrogen Trade Forum (IHTF) at COP28 to accelerate the global trade in hydrogen. Under the agreement, the Hydrogen Council and IHTF will actively monitor the implementation of the COP28 Public-Private Action Statement on cross-border trade in hydrogen and derivatives; analyse emerging cross-border trade corridors and identify opportunities to unlock socio-economic value of global trade for emerging markets and developing countries; and establish an annual Ministerial-CEO roundtable to align actions on both the public and private sides on accelerating the development of cross-border value chains while maximising the socio-economic benefits of hydrogen on an international scale.
H.E. Suhail Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, United Arab Emirates, and co-chair of the IHTF, said, “Public-private cooperation is essential to advance implementation of cross-border trade corridors in hydrogen and its derivatives internationally. As IHTF Co-Chair, I am pleased to welcome this strong partnership between the IHTF and the Hydrogen Council set to accelerate cooperation on the priority actions required for establishing global supply chains.”
