'Greenwashing' | Is the new methodology to calculate clean hydrogen emissions launched at COP28 fit for purpose?
ISO process to calculate greenhouse gas emissions criticised by NGOs as insufficient for harmonizing different standards for international H2 trade
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) this morning launched a new methodology for assessing the greenhouse gas emissions of hydrogen production at a COP28 high-level roundtable in Dubai.
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But it has already been criticised as simply calculating an emissions footprint at best, and greenwashing dirty hydrogen at worst.
“I would like to congratulate the COP28 Presidency on the work carried to advance low carbon hydrogen as the fuel of the future,” said Gerd Müller, director-general of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), adding that the declaration and ISO methodology “will certainly contribute to that end”.
Mark Brownstein, senior vice-president for the energy transition at US-based non-profit the Environmental Defense Fund, said: “The much-anticipated international standard for the deployment of hydrogen technologies was released at COP28. Unfortunately, the standard missed the mark in terms of ensuring the climate benefits we need from hydrogen. We’re going to have to do far better if we want hydrogen to play a constructive role in decarbonizing energy systems.”
“However, unlike the Green Hydrogen Standard, the ISO process underway will not include an emissions threshold for truly clean hydrogen.”
His views were echoed by Marta Lovisolo, senior policy advisor for renewable energy systems at non-governmental organisation Bellona.
“The ISO hydrogen standard announced today potentially increases confusion of what should classify as ‘clean’ hydrogen, instead of simplifying it,” she said.
“By failing to establish a threshold for emissions from hydrogen production, it is at best an emissions calculator — at worst a greenwashing tool for dirty hydrogen.”
Lovisolo noted that the methodology does not solve the issue of individual countries setting different emissions thresholds for clean hydrogen, “paving the way for a complex and fragmented future hydrogen trade”.
“It also risks underreporting emissions associated with blue hydrogen for upstream methane and the permanence of carbon storage,” said Turnbull. “As the ISO standard is developed, we need an inclusive and robust process to ensure these issues are addressed which take on board all views.”
Yuanrong Zhou, a researcher for the fuels programme at the International Council on Clean Transportation, added: “Under the methodology launched today, ISO-compliant hydrogen could potentially produce more greenhouse gas emissions than natural gas.
“ICCT’s research has shown that blue hydrogen, made from natural gas combined with CCS, poses serious climate risks from methane leaks and challenges in capturing carbon and storing emissions.”