Hydrogen Now to 2030: Opportunities and Limits in a Circular Carbon Economy

The Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University SIPA and the Global CCS Institute hosted a webinar to share important insights and learnings as part of the Circular Carbon Economy: Keystone to Global Sustainability Project, which explores options to reduce, reuse, recycle, and remove carbon dioxide emissions from the global energy economy to accelerate decarbonization, reduce climate risk, and create economic growth.

This webinar explored key findings from new reports, “Blue Hydrogen: Production and Use” and “Green Hydrogen in a Circular Carbon Economy: Opportunities and Limits.” The reports touch on production, transportation, and use of zero-carbon hydrogen, how and where there are opportunities to catalytic early action and investment, and what’s needed to put the world on a useful path to maximizing the value of a critical carbon-free fuel. This event brought together experts in technology, policy, and finance to discuss how hydrogen can rapidly provide commercial energy services across key sectors including power, transportation, industry, and buildings.

Moderator:
-- Dr. Melissa Lott, Director of Research and Senior Research Scholar, Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia SIPA

Opening Remarks:
-- Senator Charles Schumer, U.S. Senate Majority Leader (D-NY)

Keynote:
-- The Honorable Juan Carlos Jobet, Minister of Energy and Mining, Chile

Presenters:
-- Dr. Julio Friedmann, Senior Research Scholar, Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia SIPA
-- Alex Zapantis, General Manager - Commercial, Global CCS Institute

Panelists:
-- Benedict Chia, Strategic Issues Director at National Climate Change Secretariat, Prime Minister’s Office, Singapore
-- Dr. Fiona Simon, CEO, Australian Hydrogen Council
-- Nobuo Tanaka, Chair of the Steering Committee, ICEF; Special Advisor, the Sasakawa Peace Foundation (SPF); Former Executive Director, International Energy Agency (IEA) 2007-2011; and CEO, Tanaka Global, Inc.