By Elena Essa, Natalie Janzow, and Oleksiy Tatarenko
With contributions by Sam Bartlett, Caroline Biotteau, Connor Kerr, Joaquin Rosas and Joe Williams
Establishing clear and rigorous standards for clean hydrogen is crucial for enabling green hydrogen to replace fossil fuels and ensure that fuel-switching reduces carbon emissions in heavy industries and transport. The potential for emissions reductions from hydrogen largely depends on its production method: hydrogen made with renewable energy (green hydrogen) can achieve near-zero emissions, while hydrogen produced from natural gas (blue hydrogen) depends on the efficiency of upstream methane leakage controls and carbon capture. Effective monitoring and verification of emissions throughout the hydrogen value chain are essential to ensure that the standards applied are robust and accurate.
Governments and international organizations are working to finalize standards and accounting frameworks to assess hydrogen's carbon intensity. It is vital that these frameworks address gaps, such as incomplete life-cycle emissions assessments and inconsistent definitions across markets, which can lead to inaccuracies in emissions reporting and inefficiencies in clean hydrogen and hydrogen-derivative trade. This report demonstrates how policymakers can address these issues to ensure that clean hydrogen is truly decarbonized, supports a level playing field, and contributes to industrial competition and energy security goals.
