The green hydrogen and sustainable hydropower sectors are set to collaborate to achieve net zero, with the newly formed Green Hydrogen Organisation (GH2) and the International Hydropower Association (IHA) today setting out a mutually strengthening vision of how their two sectors can contribute to tackling climate change.
The Green Hydrogen Organisation will promote the production and use of green hydrogen. It has begun work on establishing a ‘GH2 Green Hydrogen Standard’ to ensure that green hydrogen is certified as coming only from low carbon sources.
In addition to ensuring almost zero carbon emissions are produced by green hydrogen, the GH2 Green Hydrogen Standard will be developed to align with the hydropower sector’s Hydropower Sustainability Standard, making sure over time that wider ESG commitments are safeguarded.
Former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull will be inaugural Chair of the new organisation, with Dr Andrew Forrest, Chairman of Fortescue Metals Group and Fortescue Future Industries, a founding Board member.
The commitment by the two organisations to collaborate was made at a session on green hydrogen at the World Hydropower Congress on 17 September 2021. The main message of the session was that energy should be sourced only from renewable sources like sustainable hydropower.
“Sustainable hydropower and green hydrogen is a perfect marriage. I look forward to working arm in arm with the green hydrogen sector to help its exponential growth built on good sustainability principles,” said Eddie Rich, CEO of IHA. “The green hydrogen revolution is dependent on renewable energy, including sustainable and responsibly developed hydropower. With the need for renewable energy and storage growing rapidly, it will be critically important for the green hydrogen industry to subscribe to high sustainability standards.”
The founders of the new organisation strongly endorsed the forthcoming San José Declaration on Sustainable Hydropower and the recently launched Hydropower Sustainability Standard.
