Coordination

Brussels: During the European Hydrogen Week, UNIDO and Clean Hydrogen Mission of Mission Innovation signed a Joint Declaration to strengthen collaboration in advancing hydrogen technologies and solutions. 𝐅𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧:✅ 𝑹𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒄𝒉 & 𝑰𝒏𝒏𝒐𝒗𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 – Identifying and promoting cutting-edge hydrogen technologies.✅ 𝑮𝒍𝒐𝒃𝒂𝒍 𝑪𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 – Enhancing dialogues between hydrogen pioneer countries and developing countries.✅ 𝑪𝒂𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝑩𝒖𝒊𝒍𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 – Creating training materials and organising joint webinars.✅ 𝑺𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒅𝒔 & 𝑷𝒐𝒍𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒆𝒔 – Supporting enabling regulatory frameworks. ✅ 𝑨𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝑹𝒂𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 – Disseminating knowledge on clean hydrogen and its application in hard-to-abate industries in emerging economies.✅ 𝑨𝒄𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝑭𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 – Sharing expertise on financing mechanisms and internationally funded technical assistance/innovation initiatives.By fostering the dissemination of innovations to developing countries and economies in transition, the cooperation aims to make clean hydrogen solutions more accessible and scalable—driving sustainable industrial development while aligning efforts with global climate goals.The declaration was signed on behalf of UNIDO by Christophe Yvetot and on behalf of Mission Innovation by Piero Venturi. 

UNIDO hosted the fourth session of the Development Dialogue on its Global Partnership for Hydrogen in Industry at its headquarters in Vienna. The event, held in a hybrid format, brought together representatives from Member States, including their Permanent Missions, industries, and other key stakeholders to discuss hydrogen's role in sustainable development.Building on previous sessions (example), the Dialogue introduced UNIDO's key initiatives such as the Global Clean Hydrogen Programme. Expert panellists from government, industry, and development finance institutions provided insights on hydrogen standards, certification schemes, financing mechanisms, and skills development. The event also featured a briefing on the upcoming Hydrogen Declaration for COP29 and addressed opportunities for collaboration to scale hydrogen solutions globally.Managing Director, Gunther Beger, opened the Dialogue by emphasizing the importance of clean hydrogen in the global energy transition. He highlighted UNIDO’s role in supporting capacity building, fostering collaborations, and driving hydrogen adoption in developing and transition economies. Concluding, he stressed the significance of partnerships, stating: "A just hydrogen transition requires collaboration from all of us. By sharing knowledge and resources, we can ensure that the benefits of this transition reach developing nations.  The insights shared today will help us align our global efforts and build the partnerships needed for a sustainable and inclusive hydrogen economy. I am confident that together, we can find effective solutions to unlock the full potential of clean hydrogen."Summary of the key messages from each speaker is presented below:Petra Schwager (Chief, Climate and Technology Partnerships Division, UNIDO): Spoke about UNIDO’s Global Programme for Hydrogen in Industry, stressing the need for countries to use hydrogen for building up their own industries. She highlighted the importance of partnerships and UNIDO’s collaboration with various organizations to ensure a just and sustainable hydrogen transition.Clovis Zapata (Country representative in Brazil, UNIDO): Highlighted Brazil’s central role in the global hydrogen market, leveraging its renewable energy potential. He discussed the country's commitment to expanding low-carbon hydrogen production and the national regulatory measures to support this, with the goal of making Brazil a leader in low-carbon hydrogen by 2030.Andrei Bazan (First Secretary, Alternate Permanent Representative and Consul, Philippines Embassy and Permanent Mission to the United Nations and other International Organizations in Vienna): Addressed the Philippines' efforts to develop hydrogen as a clean energy source, in line with the country’s energy security and low-carbon goals. He emphasized the role of hydrogen in boosting national capacities and the importance of UNIDO’s support in de-risking investments and developing policy frameworks.Dr. Pradeep Tharakan (Director, Energy Transition, Asian Development Bank): Focused on ADB's commitment to supporting hydrogen development through large-scale renewable energy projects. He highlighted the importance of hydrogen hubs and the role of financing mechanisms to de-risk hydrogen investments, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region.Dr. Carla Robledo (Senior Policy Advisor, Ministry of Climate Policy and Green Growth, The Netherlands): Underscored the importance of the International Hydrogen Trade Forum (IHTF) in promoting collaboration between hydrogen-exporting and importing regions. She highlighted UNIDO's significant role as forum coordinator and emphasized the necessity of creating demand, developing infrastructure, and securing financing to scale global hydrogen trade, particularly in emerging markets.Björn Noack (Power Solutions, Director Governmental Affairs Electrolysis (PS/SGO-EY, Bosch): Presented Bosch’s approach to supporting the energy transition through hydrogen technologies. He emphasized the company’s focus on scaling hydrogen production by manufacturing PEM electrolyzer stacks and contributing to local hydrogen ecosystems through supply chain development.Luis Umanzor (Industrial Development Officer, Climate and Technology Partnerships Division, UNIDO): Highlighted UNIDO’s Global Clean Hydrogen Programme, developed in collaboration with the Global Environment Facility (GEF). The program supports countries by enhancing their capacity, policy frameworks, and technical readiness for hydrogen production and local application. He emphasized the importance of pilot projects as learning tools and UNIDO's efforts in promoting green hydrogen industrial clusters to develop local industries based on renewable energy.Dr. Xue Wang (Chief of Application Division, International Hydrogen Energy Center, China): Discussed the International Hydrogen Energy Center’s work on hydrogen technology and industrialization. Wang emphasized large-scale hydrogen production and long-distance transportation projects, including a demonstration project in Inner Mongolia, China.Smeeta Fokeer (Research and Industrial Policy Officer, Climate and Technology Partnerships Division, UNIDO): Discussed the Hydrogen Declaration for COP29, which UNIDO has been entrusted with coordinating. The Declaration focuses on decarbonizing existing hydrogen production, increasing demand for clean hydrogen, and ensuring a just transition. She also highlighted that UNIDO will host several key hydrogen-related events at COP29, highlighting its role in advancing sustainable hydrogen projects and fostering global partnerships. 

Rabat: The official launch of our Green Climate Fund (GCF) Readiness Project marks a significant milestone in Morocco’s journey toward a sustainable, low-carbon future. This UNIDO's initiative aims to accelerate Morocco’s transition to green hydrogen, with a particular focus on decarbonizing the steel industry—a critical sector in the country’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 45.5% by 2030, as outlined in its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC).The project aligns with Morocco’s Green Hydrogen Roadmap and broader national strategies, positioning the country as a future leader in the global green hydrogen market.As part of the launch, the Ministry of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development of Morocco and UNIDO hosted the workshop “Developing an Industrial Policy for Green Hydrogen in Morocco” with participation from key national stakeholders.The first session introduced UNIDO’s Policy Toolkit, emphasizing downstream market creation strategies linked to the new “Morocco Offer.” Discussions explored policy options to strengthen Morocco’s green hydrogen value chain, including investment, demand creation, and infrastructure development.The second session focused on the GCF project’s studies on green hydrogen application in Morocco’s steel industry, providing a platform for stakeholders to share insights on existing policies and identify development opportunities.Following the workshop, the first Steering Committee meeting was convened. The Committee approved the project’s work plan, laying a solid foundation for the next steps in implementation. Discussions underscored the importance of coordinated efforts among all partners to advance Morocco's green hydrogen ambitions. 

On the way towards an inclusive and sustainable green hydrogen transition, countries face numerous challenges: they lack strategies, regulatory frameworks, investment incentives, know-how and more. Sound policymaking will be key to realizing green hydrogen’s potential, yet guidance on adequate measures is scarce.Based on their institutional mandates to promote the widespread and sustainable use of clean energy worldwide for inclusive and sustainable industrialization and the global common good, UNIDO, IRENA, and IDOS have contributed their own specific expertise to co-author a policy report titled, Green hydrogen for Sustainable Industrial Development: A Policy Toolkit for Developing Countries.This comprehensive publication is the first to encompass the entire green hydrogen value chain - including backward linkages, production and end-use - with a specific focus on developing countries. It highlights green hydrogen's transformative potential, offers strategic guidance for equitable benefits distribution, and includes detailed policy sheets that outline the policy options to this end.The report challenges the conventional view of green hydrogen as primarily an export commodity from countries rich in renewables but lacking in industrial power. Instead, the focus is shifted to the potential of green hydrogen to drive economic growth, environmental sustainability, and social progress within these countries in order to ensure the distribution of potential benefits in the most equitable manner.“An essential prerequisite to the global scale up of green hydrogen uptake is the development of the necessary policy and legal frameworks and coordinating international standards. Without regulatory clarity, green hydrogen projects are unable to move forward as they cannot plan or assess risk. This toolkit aims to guide policymakers in developing a regulatory environment that enables green hydrogen production,” wrote Gerd Müller, Director General of UNIDO, Francisco La Camera, Director General of IRENA and Prof. Dr. Anna-Katharina Hornidge, Director of IDOS, in their joint foreword.The Toolkit equips policymakers with the latest strategies, challenges, and solutions for creating a local value chain around green hydrogen production. The report can be downloaded here.