Green(ing) H2

Hydrogen (H2) is projected to play a key role in a future climate-neutral society, enabling emission-free transport, heating, and industrial processes as well as seasonal energy storage. However, hydrogen is not per se climate neutral. If not designed with a focus on sustainability, both its production and its logistics bear the danger of dependency on fossil fuels as well as of competition for water and renewable energy. In Europe, the policy debates on hydrogen have been dominated by representatives from the energy industry, who have not adequately articulated these dangers. An informed and engaged civil society can contribute to the respective policy debates and hold decision makers accountable, ensuring that further advancement of hydrogen strategies focuses on truly sustainable hydrogen.

Collaborating for a common goal, Photo: ©Bob Dmyt

The project team targeted organised civil society – such as NGOs, think tanks, and associations – on the EU level as well as in Poland, Germany, and Portugal as countries which held key roles in advancing the hydrogen industry in Europe. To empower civil society to actively engage in the hydrogen debate, the project team focused on two activities. The first step was to build a cross-European network of organized civil society actors who were interested in or involved in green(ing) hydrogen at the European and national levels, encouraging and facilitating the exchange of knowledge and perspectives. This network constituted the basis for the second step, which was to – as a collective – develop guidelines for policymakers. These guidelines aimed to propose solutions for designing sustainable hydrogen markets and infrastructures. The project members disseminated these guidelines among civil society organizations and among government ministries so that the guidelines supported the policy processes that paved the way for the further advancement of truly net-carbon free hydrogen. Through its efforts, the project team contributed to unleashing the full potential of green hydrogen for climate neutrality.

• European network established: A Europe-wide network for the greening of hydrogen was established as part of the project. The members regularly received important information and suggestions at working group meetings organised by CAN-Europe, networked with organisations at EU level and contributed their expertise to national and European workshops with NGOs, industry and government representatives. 
• Guidelines for policy processes: Joint guidelines were developed for policy makers on how to make hydrogen markets and infrastructures more sustainable. These were shared with civil society organisations and ministries, which used them as orientation in political processes. The project thus unlocked some potential for promoting green hydrogen to achieve climate neutrality. 
• Media outreach: Members of the network published a large number of articles in various European countries, for example the articles/the press release 
  • Broad industry-NGO coalition calls for EU… | Transport & Environment 
  • The hydrogen and gas decarbonisation package under publication needs to  improve - CAN Europe 
  • Portugal's hydrogen plans from the NGO Association for the Sustainability of the Earth System (ZERO)
• Political outreach: Maria Graça Carvalho, Member of the European Parliament, publicly took up ZERO's position and confirmed its role as a key player for green hydrogen in Portugal.