EEB: Beyond the Hype: Hydrogen Policies for the Climate Crisis

Hydrogen has surged to the top of the EU’s energy policy agenda. The European Commission’s plans for hydrogen production – outlined in REPowerEU – and infrastructure come with the threat of (i) subtracting large volumes of EU and state funding and thus competing with more cost-effective decarbonisation options and (ii) locking-in fossil gas use beyond what is necessary. At the same time, criteria to define “renewable” hydrogen are being negotiated by the EU policymakers and could make a big difference in ensuring the sustainability of such hydrogen.

Are the European Commission’s plans realistic? Or are they oversized?

In this webinar, we are going to discuss the issues and prospects for renewable hydrogen uptake in Europe together with Marta Lovisolo (Bellona Europa) and Falko Ueckerdt (Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research). We want to discuss what a sustainable pathway for the deployment of renewable hydrogen in Europe could look like, and what EU policies are required to make sure that the increase in hydrogen capacity actually reduces carbon emissions.