However, while the green hydrogen sector features prominently on political and strategic agendas, less than 1% of global hydrogen production in 2021 was based on low-emission technologies. This emergent sector offers great potential therefore in terms of decarbonization and will create fresh economic opportunities for stakeholders along its entire value chain.

Overall, there needs to be a swift, significant increase in renewable energy generation so that the surplus can be used to produce hydrogen. That goes hand-in-hand with the expansion of the hydrogen infrastructure (electrolyzers, storage, transportation and usage) and the development of new applications to drive demand.

A new study by Ferdinand Consultants for Germany’s National Metrology Institute, the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), explains how quality infrastructure creates the basis for the development of the green hydrogen sector by reducing existing risks and supporting the positive sustainability impact of investments.

Quality infrastructure comprises the public bodies, private companies, regulatory and legal frameworks of the value chain. It relies on the components of metrology, standardization, testing, accreditation, conformity assessment, and market surveillance.

Robust, internationally recognized criteria and quality assurance mechanisms must be put in place to prevent technical barriers to trade, green washing and unintended negative sustainability or local economy impacts. This is especially relevant in Africa and Latin America, whose abundant renewable energy sources make them ideal green-hydrogen producers.

There are significant challenges to be addressed across a number of quality infrastructure services. For example, there is a need for clear, internationally recognized criteria for life-cycle assessments to estimate emissions releases and any negative environmental impacts. Another important area is the “guarantee of origin” required to differentiate green hydrogen from other hydrogen types.

The publication examines the existing gaps between the demand, both current and projected, and supply of quality infrastructure services. It also sets out key learnings to help policymakers and sector stakeholders effectively support quality infrastructure and foster the development of the green hydrogen industry.

Contact us for more information on our activities related to green hydrogen and quality infrastructure. 

We are delighted to announce the launch of our new brand.

netpositive develops tailor-made solutions for our clients that go beyond compensation strategies by creating net positive sustainability projects in Spain.

At netpositive, our initial focus is the hands-on development of innovative photovoltaic projects in Spain, where the renewable energy industry is thriving. These projects offer carbon emission compensation to our clients whilst making tangible environmental, economic and social impact for local communities.

Besides photovoltaic solutions, netpositive also creates projects to respond to the growing water scarcity in Spain, protecting biodiversity and removing carbon from the atmosphere.

netpositive is a group of leading experts uniting strategic understanding, innovation and local know-how for real sustainability impact. We draw on over 15 years of experience in corporate sustainability strategies, development of renewable energy projects, financial and legal advisory, biodiversity, local sustainability initiatives and quality assurance.

Contact us for more information on netpositive: info@netpositive.es

Resilient companies are characterized by their ability to recognize and adapt to changing environments, enabling them to persist in situations of crisis. Business Continuity Management (BCM) provides a framework for systematic management to increase a company’s resilience. 

On the way to a more resilient company, many different management disciplines and standards should be considered. The ISO 22316:2017 standard on organizational resilience lists different relevant management disciplines. There are various general, as well as organization-specific, standards that relate to more specific topics, such as emergency management. ISO 22301:2019 is the most applied standard in the field, particularly because it can be certified.  

Standards can make an important contribution to increasing the resilience of companies and improving their BCM. For example, by having standardized management systems in place, changes in relevant environmental conditions – as well as their impacts on objectives and activities – can be identified at an earlier stage, resulting in a more structured emergency response. In addition, the implementation of management standards can increase the efficiency of processes and establish a culture of continuous improvement. They can also help the company be better prepared for various potential risks, such as disruptions in supply chains. 

The application of these standards in developing and emerging countries has not yet been thoroughly evaluated. As a result, in the field of international development cooperation there is a lack of information on effective contributions to increase corporate resilience. The National Metrology Institute of Germany (PTB) is conducting a pilot project on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) on “Strengthening the Resilience of Businesses through a Pilot Application of Standards”. Ferdinand Consultants is working with Efficiency Consulting GmbH (Austria) to help implement the project.  

So far, the project has brought together an international group of experts and representatives of the national ISO mirror committees from various countries such as Bosnia-Herzegovina, Colombia, Kosovo, Mexico, India, Indonesia, and South Africa. Currently, the national experts are conducting gap analyses and developing action plans to reach compliance with ISO 22301:2019 amongst selected companies. This work, along with the international evaluation of experience and lessons learned, will contribute to increasing our collective knowledge of effective support for corporate resilience in emerging and developing economies. 

For more information, please contact us at info@ferdinand.es  

Links: 

Publication: How Standards Contribute to Business Resilience in Crisis Situation