Clean hydrogen plays a critical role in net zero strategies of the world’s leading economies. The US and the EU have already taken significant steps to position themselves at the forefront of the global race to net zero by launching state support packages on an unprecedented scale. Please join Baker McKenzie’s experts on 19 April 2023 at 3:00 pm GMT for a compare and contrast discussion of the US Inflation Reduction Act and the Green Deal Industrial Plan for the Net-Zero Age with a focus on hydrogen.

The strengthening partnerships between the United States and African countries is evident in recently announced initiatives that focus on sustainability and community empowerment and that provide reciprocal benefits for the citizens of both regions. Such initiatives include, for example, increased US support for climate, clean energy and infrastructure development projects in Africa, and programs that boost reciprocal trade and investment between the two regions.

An increasing number of countries have been unveiling their detailed legislative frameworks and extensive state support packages aimed at developing the hydrogen market in the context of the race to net zero. The US is not a new participant in this race. The 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act allocated USD 9.5 billion for clean hydrogen. The Inflation Reduction Act signed into law in August 2022 provided additional policies and incentives for the development of the hydrogen market, including a production tax credit, which is aimed at boosting the US market for clean hydrogen. However, the US Department of Energy’s publication of a draft Clean Hydrogen Strategy and Roadmap (CHSR) takes the US government’s level of commitment to clean energy to the next level, as well as showing its willingness to work with existing and potential hydrogen market participants and other stakeholders to develop a framework that really works. This article examines the key provisions of the CHSR.

On 26 June 2022, US President Joe Biden together with G7 officially launched the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII). G7 leaders pledged to raise USD 600 billion in private and public funds over five years to finance the required infrastructure in developing countries.
Based on the initial information available, the scope of the PGII is wide and includes tackling the climate crisis, bolstering global energy security, developing clean energy supply chains, strengthening cybersecurity and further developing digital and health infrastructure. It also focuses on gender equality and equity.

The ongoing shift in the Global Energy landscape has been accelerated by the firm commitment of many governments around the globe to decarbonise and achieve net zero, as well as, most recently, very significant geo-political developments. A number of new energy strategies have been launched by governments around the globe (most notably, in the EU, UK and USA) as well as new regulatory frameworks put into place to enable these strategies.

With global acknowledgement of the spiraling negative impact of carbon emissions on the planet, many countries are swiftly launching efficient, low-cost hydrogen-based solutions for the future mobility industry and have agreed to accelerate zero-emission vehicles at the recent COP26 conference. The goal is to have climate-friendly techniques on road vehicles, synthetic fuels and, for the aviation and maritime sectors, developing a hydrogen transport and distribution infrastructure, as well as expanding the network of hydrogen refueling stations.