Hydrogen Breakthrough: to make affordable renewable and low carbon hydrogen globally available by 2030.
Why? Hydrogen production from fossil fuels is responsible for 830 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year – with 89% of global CO2 emissions coming from fossil fuels and industry. The production of clean hydrogen is not yet at an affordable scale – though projections suggest that, if international roll-out were coordinated, it could be up to 45% cheaper in 2030, and up to 75% by 2050. The Glasgow Breakthrough on Hydrogen is designed to create the international collaboration that will make such affordability scenarios a reality, delivering a clean energy transition that could create up to 99,000 jobs in the sector.
Existing progress the Breakthrough will turbocharge: more than 20 countries had planned hydrogen strategies as of October 2021, and the sector has announced more than 350 projects in development. Globally, governments have committed more than USD 37 billion in public funding to hydrogen development, while the private sector has announced an investment of a further USD 300 billion. But global spending on hydrogen energy research, development and demonstration remains lower than its peak in 2008: current international action on hydrogen must go further, faster, to help deliver on the 1.5°C climate target. This Breakthrough creates actions for governments to coordinate on rapidly scaling up and rolling out the technology, such as investment to accelerate industrial carbon capture and hydrogen, bridging the gap between industrial energy costs from gas and hydrogen and helping green hydrogen projects get off the ground.
Full details of the priority actions and what will be delivered before COP28 are here
