Controlling Emissions in a European Hydrogen Economy

Hydrogen (H₂) emissions have a significant impact on climate warming and require regulatory interventions to contain them. Blue hydrogen also produces significant emissions of methane and CO₂, even under the assumption that it meets the standard for low-carbon hydrogen. According to current scientific literature, H₂ emissions primarily occur at the point of production, where they can be controlled by operational measures that eliminate intentional venting of H₂ emissions. The European Union should acknowledge the role of hydrogen as an indirect GHG by incorporating hydrogen emissions in the methodologies for calculating GHG savings from low-carbon hydrogen and renewable fuels of non-biological origin (RFNBOs). The EU should strengthen its regulatory framework to limit all climate-warming emissions from blue hydrogen production — both in the EU and abroad. Expanding the EU’s Methane Regulation to include methane emissions from imported hydrogen and its derivatives offers an important first step towards a more robust regulatory framework.