Does the world need hydrogen to solve climate change?

carbonbrief.org

Hydrogen gas has long been recognised as an alternative to fossil fuels and a potentially valuable tool for tackling climate change.

Now, as nations come forward with net-zero strategies to align with their international climate targets, hydrogen has once again risen up the agenda from Australia and the UK through to Germany and Japan.

In the most optimistic outlooks, hydrogen could soon power trucks, planes and ships. It could heat homes, balance electricity grids and help heavy industry to make everything from steel to cement.

But doing all these things with hydrogen would require staggering quantities of the fuel, which is only as clean as the methods used to produce it. Moreover, for every potentially transformative application of hydrogen, there are unique challenges that must be overcome.

In this in-depth Q&A – which includes a range of infographics, maps and interactive charts, as well as the views of dozens of experts – Carbon Brief examines the big questions around the “hydrogen economy” and looks at the extent to which it could help the world avoid dangerous climate change.

What is hydrogen and how could it help tackle climate change?

Hydrogen is the lightest and most abundant element in the universe. It is also an explosive and clean-burning gas that contains more energy per unit of weight than fossil fuels.

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We need to get serious about the renewable energy revolution—by including nuclear power

thebulletin.org

By Michael Edesess | May 5, 2022

One of my favorite quotes is from Sherlock Holmes: “Once you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however implausible, must be the truth.”[1] This motto implicitly guides the ambitious plan to decarbonize all energy envisioned by most renewable energy enthusiasts. The only problem is that, not only is the alternative they dismiss not impossible, it could be much less implausible than the one they advocate.

The renewables army. A huge number of extremely earnest and bright people are working on trying to make the renewable energy future come true. They work at, or have passed through, the most elite institutions of our time, the top universities, the top financial firms, the most innovative corporations and startups. At the center of much of their effort is the Rocky Mountain Institute, the nonprofit research think-tank whose board I chaired more than 20 years ago. (They call it a “think-and-do” tank, which is more fitting.) RMI coordinates meetings (recently mostly Zoom meetings) with very smart participants from some of the foremost companies working on decarbonizing their businesses, companies like Google, Apple, Microsoft. It’s a pleasure to watch them think, discuss, and work out problems. It was an enormous pleasure to be on RMI’s board, especially to interact intellectually with the most brilliant individual I have ever met, RMI’s co-founder Amory Lovins.

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Provincial trio topping PCI rankings

May 05, 2022 | 09:38

vir.com.vn

Despite the remarkable improvement of Vietnam’s cities and provinces to enhance competitiveness, many issues are remaining for them to lure in more investment.

Provincial trio topping PCI rankings
Source: Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Last week’s 2021 Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) report, released by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), revealed that Quang Ninh, Haiphong, and Dong Thap were the most improved localities last year.

All three have facilitated business performance and boosted administrative reform in favour of private sector development.

In Quang Ninh, Viet Hung Industrial Park Development JSC was, for the first time, granted an investment certificate within only 24 hours.

“We are impressed by the administrative procedure reform of Quang Ninh and the strong direction of the provincial People’s Committee and relevant authorities to support investors,” said CEO Dao Phong Truc Dai.

The province has provided 1,600 online public services at levels three and four, and 555 procedures have been integrated into the national public services portal. The time for administrative procedures has been shortened, so the satisfaction of people and businesses improved significantly, reaching 99.7 per cent at the provincial level and 99.9 per cent at the district level.

Meanwhile, second-placed Haiphong was the leading city in attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) in 2021 with a total of $5.26 billion.

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