Beyond the Hype: Hydrogen Policies for the Climate Crisis

09 March, 16:00-17:00 CET

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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.

Agenda

16:00 Introduction: Cosimo Tansini (EEB)

16:05 Keynote speakers:

• Falko Ueckerdt is a senior scientist at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK). He works on hydrogen, e-fuels and the industry sector in the German flagship project Ariadne. He is part of two IEA advisory groups, on system integration of variable renewables and on projected costs of generation.
• Marta Lovisolo is a Policy Advisor for Renewable Energy Systems at Bellona Europa, where she works on hydrogen and renewables deployment. By engaging with a wide range of stakeholders including policymakers, academia, civil society and industrial players, Bellona Europa seeks to influence EU policies to achieve industrial decarbonisation, energy systems, circularity, sustainable finance, and negative emissions.

16:30 Open Discussion

16:50 Conclusions & policy outlook: Luke Haywood (EEB)

This event is part of the PAC 2.0 project. Implemented by the partnership comprising RGI, REN-21, EEB, and CAN Europe, the PAC 2.0 project seeks to implement the Paris Agreement Compatible (PAC) scenario in relevant policy files and modelling activities.