Summary:
- The Italian G20 Presidency in 2020 for the first time explicitly recognised ‘the inextricable nexus between climate change and energy’, resulting in a series of joint ministerial meetings involving the Climate Sustainability Working Group and the Energy Transition Working Group.
- Green hydrogen was first mooted as a key enabling energy mode to progress towards net-zero emissions under the Japanese G20 Presidency in 2019.
- Africa’s abundant sun exposure means that the continent could become a reliable source of renewable energy and thus a valuable player in global green hydrogen energy value chains.
- Africa’s potential to become a key hub for green hydrogen production is underpinned by its geographic competitive advantage, well-established regional power pools and the movement towards free trade in goods and services under the African Continental Free Trade Agreement.
- G20 member commitments to supporting climate-friendly infrastructure development and an enabling environment for green hydrogen production are an important opportunity to unlock the green hydrogen value chain in Africa.
