Investigating Hydrogen’s Role in Climate Change Mitigation

Hydrogen is widely regarded as pivotal in achieving net-zero emissions, with the potential to significantly reduce reliance on fossil fuels. The European Commission's Hydrogen Strategy for a Climate-Neutral Europe (2020) highlights its essential role in reaching carbon neutrality by 2050. However, knowledge gaps about hydrogen's environmental benefits and potential risks remain significant – not only regarding climate change but also concerning impacts on soil, water, air pollution or land-use. HYway, an EU-funded Horizon Europe project, aims to address this uncertainty by assessing hydrogen's effects on climate change, particularly focusing on its influence on other greenhouse gases like methane, ozone, and stratospheric water vapour.

Although hydrogen is not a greenhouse gas itself, when emitted into the atmosphere, it triggers chemical reactions that could cause global warming. Understanding these reactions is important for policymakers and stakeholders to make informed decisions about the role of hydrogen in the transition to a low-carbon economy. To support this, HYway brings together twelve leading institutions across Europe to develop innovative methodologies for hydrogen emissions monitoring, utilising state-of-the-art models and quantification tools.

This four-year project will establish critical hydrogen leakage measurement techniques, enhancing the accuracy of emissions inventories. The results will provide a scientific foundation for better-informed policy decisions, guiding the EU and global efforts toward sustainable hydrogen economies.

Given the political significance of hydrogen, HYway will advise on managing hydrogen as both an energy solution and a climate risk. Policymakers will be better equipped to understand how hydrogen can best reduce fossil fuel emissions and mitigate climate impacts, supporting the EU in achieving its targets from the Paris Agreement.

With contributions from partners in Norway, France, Germany, Austria, the UK, and beyond, HYway represents a unique collaboration at the nexus of scientific research and climate policy, also together with its sister project HYDRA, which has a similar but complementary focus. The project’s outcomes will be another step forward toward a sustainable, low-carbon future.

For more information, please see the EU factsheet.