Building a Sustainable and Inclusive Hydrogen Economy: Spearheading Net-Zero Industrial Development
The UNIDO report “Building a Sustainable and Inclusive Hydrogen Economy” outlines how low-emission hydrogen can drive global industrial decarbonization and economic transformation, particularly in developing economies.
Aligned with the Paris Agreement and SDGs, the report stresses that hydrogen can reduce CO₂ emissions from heavy industries like steel, cement, and chemicals, responsible for over 20% of global emissions, while creating new green jobs, strengthening energy security, and enabling trade in renewable fuels.
UNIDO’s Global Programme for Hydrogen in Industry (GPHI) operates through two pillars:
- Global Partnership: Engages stakeholders, advances policies, standards, financing, and global dialogue.
- Technical Cooperation: Tailors local interventions and builds capacity in 13 countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
Key initiatives include the GEF-8 Global Clean Hydrogen Programme, GCF Readiness Projects in Morocco and South Africa, and partnerships with IRENA, ISO, the World Bank, and Women in Green Hydrogen.
UNIDO’s approach emphasizes sustainability, inclusiveness, and innovation, ensuring that developing countries benefit from the hydrogen economy through just transitions, equitable participation, and access to technology and finance.
With projects already mitigating millions of tonnes of CO₂ and creating thousands of green jobs, UNIDO positions hydrogen not just as a fuel of the future, but as a catalyst for net-zero industrial development and global equity.