Europe is pursuing an ambitious goal: to be the first of all continents to become climate neutral. The German government has therefore stipulated that companies located in Germany must stop emitting net greenhouse gases by 2045 at the very latest - a mammoth task for everyone involved.
One great source of hope in this regard is the hydrogen economy. But in order to be able to use green hydrogen technologies on a widespread basis here in Germany, we need to start creating the necessary infrastructure and production facilities for them now. This requires cooperation on both a national and international level.
This topic was one of many discussed at the Parliamentary Breakfast at the German Parliamentary Society in Berlin on 17 January 2023. The hosts were our Head of Automotive, Christoph Gawlik, Matthias Deeg von Horváth as well as Dr. Stefan Kaufmann, Former Hydrogen Commissioner of the German government and Prof. Dr. Robert Schlögl, Vice President of the National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina and President of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. They all enriched the exclusive exchange with fascinating perspectives and viewpoints.
The facts of the matter are:
- In order to manage the energy transition, we are dependent on the self-production and import of green hydrogen - for this, the appropriate regulatory framework must be created as quickly as possible.
- We must demonstrate that we have the strength in terms of production and the ability for implementation in order to increase the share of renewable energies worldwide.
- For the implementation of the hydrogen strategy to be truly successful, we need a systemic, holistic approach that does not differentiate the sectors, but instead links them together.
A total of around 40 representatives from politics, associations and industry were present. The overriding tenor of the event was that the success factors for the energy transition are primarily speed and a networked approach.
A thoroughly thought-provoking event - we'd love to do it again!