Sustainability dimensions of hydrogen production in countries of the Global South: Insights into the current debate and approaches to implementation

The number of PTX projects, energy partnerships and hydrogen task forces is growing fast - and with it the number of studies and actors in the political debate on sustainability criteria for PTX products. The call: hydrogen should not only be climate-neutral, i.e. emission-free, but also sustainable. This concerns not only the carbon footprint of PTX products, but also inputs such as electricity from renewable sources, water and land resources, as well as local value creation and participation. The more PTX projects are in the pipeline and political agreements are concluded worldwide, the greater the diversity of information, viewpoints, approaches and demands, shaped by diverse economic and political interests. Central to this should be the perspective of the producing countries and actors who will deal with the effects of PTX projects on site. It is precisely this perspective that is the starting point of our project "Sustainability Dimensions of Hydrogen Production in Countries of the Global South - Approaches | Criteria | Discourses", funded by the AMBER Foundation. In a short study, we want to capture and discuss the state and range of the current political debate on sustainability criteria of PTX products. In doing so, we want to highlight both approaches in the thematic field, but also "blind spots". In the project we ask the following questions:

• Current status & scope of the debate: Which sustainability aspects are central from the perspective of countries of the Global South? How are sustainability criteria addressed in current or planned regulations and/or certifications? Beyond that, which positions and demands exist in the political debate and by whom?
• "Blind spots" in the debate: For which criteria are the political debate and current implementations particularly far apart and is there accordingly a high need for action (e.g. in defining parameters for quantification)? Which dimensions are not yet sufficiently discussed and integrated in regulatory approaches?