Within the framework of the 2021 Vienna Energy Forum (VEF), German Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Gerhard Kuentzle met with Tareq Emtairah, Director of the Department of Energy, and Petra Schwager, Chief of the Energy Technologies and Industrial Applications Division, to reiterate Germany's support for UNIDO's Global Hydrogen Partnership in Industry.
Following last year's signing of the Roadmap for the present and future cooperation between Germany and UNIDO, which emphasized the country's strategic partnership with the Organization and defined the thematic and geographic cooperation priorities, today's renewed support by the German government of the Global Hydrogen Partnership in Industry underlines the strong convergence of strategic priorities, especially for Climate Change and Circular Economy, and in particular for industrial decarbonization.
"Innovative solutions and sustainable energy technologies such as Green Hydrogen - which is derived from renewable energy sources - are needed to ensure a drastic cut in industrial emissions in hard-to-abate sectors", said Ambassador Kuentzle. "Collaborations between different stakeholders across the globe, between industrialized and developing countries alike, are therefore crucial".
UNIDO's Global Partnership for Hydrogen in Industry will accelerate a global strategic dialogue and stimulate synergies by enhancing the exchange, accumulation, development and distribution of knowledge on related policies, technical guidelines and standards. It will be complemented by technical cooperation activities aimed at designing and implementing national industrial green hydrogen roadmaps and pilot projects.
"The UNIDO Global Programme for Green Hydrogen in Industry is an ambitious undertaking that requires cooperation and coordination across sectors and stakeholders", said Tareq Emtairah. "We appreciate Germany's continued support to the Organization, and to this flagship initiative that will create a strategic, green hydrogen alliance for dialogue and collaboration - an essential step towards industry decarbonization and ultimately towards inclusive and sustainable industrialization".
While the Global Partnership for Hydrogen in Industry's approach is global, UNIDO developed selection criteria to identify a preliminary list of counties with an intervention potential, including Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Morocco, South Africa, Vietnam, Thailand, Ukraine and Uruguay as well as selected island states.
The Global Partnership for Hydrogen in Industry will contribute to the decarbonization of industry as reflected in the thematic area on climate change and environment of the roadmap", said Petra Schwager. "The Global Partnership will support industries in developing countries and economies on their way to net zero and advance an inclusive energy transition".
