Launch of the International Hydrogen Trade Forum to Accelerate Global Collaboration
Goa, India – On July 22, 2023, during the 14th Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM14) Meeting, a historic joint declaration was established by Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Germany, Japan, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, The Netherlands, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay and the European Commission on behalf of the European Union. These governments have united under the CEM’s flag with one aim: to accelerate international hydrogen trade. This significant milestone was marked by the launch of the International Hydrogen Trade Forum (IHTF), which will provide a unique platform to foster the dialogue between a wide group of governments on the nascent international hydrogen market.
The International Hydrogen Trade Forum (IHTF) brings together hydrogen importing and exporting countries to accelerate international hydrogen trade, promote collaboration, and address barriers in the emerging hydrogen market. The forum is open to CEM and non-CEM members. The inaugural co-chairs are the Netherlands and the United Arab Emirates, with the first meeting scheduled for COP28. UNIDO will act as coordinator for the forum.
Quotes from the community
“The UAE is delighted to co-chair the IHTF with the Netherlands, creating a coalition of first mover governments committed to fostering global trade in hydrogen and derivatives through international cooperation and public-private action. The mission of the IHTF is well-aligned with our National Hydrogen Strategy and the key priorities for COP28 Presidency, including unlocking cross-border hydrogen trade corridors and identifying priority actions for governments and industry to advance from announcements to implementation on the ground”
H.E. Suhail Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, United Arab Emirates
“Effective cooperation between governments and companies is essential to get the trade corridors up and
said Minister of Climate and Energy Policy, Mr. Rob Jetten from the Netherlands
running. It is an honor to be initiating this forum together with the United Arab Emirates providing a platform for such an important dialogue between future hydrogen exporting and importing countries. We look very much forward to working in close collaboration with the government members of the forum and expanding to other members that want to participate in this discussion.”
“UNIDO’s commitment to the International Hydrogen Trade Forum aligns well with the objectives of its Global Program for Hydrogen Industry. We see a fitting role for UNIDO to help bridge the gap between countries within the CEM community and those who are not part of the CEM yet”
stated the DG Müller of the united Nations Industrial Development Organization
“Industrial leaders in hydrogen welcome the establishment of the IHTF as a platform for international cooperation on the development of a global market for hydrogen and derivatives. This new platform will help to further facilitate the public-privative dialogue. Hydrogen Council is pleased to collaborate with IHTF on the road to COP28 and beyond to address key challenges and jointly create solutions for unlocking trade corridors for hydrogen and derivatives. Our common goal is to accelerate decarbonisation while supporting just transition”
said Hydrogen Council Co-Chairs Yoshinori Kanehana, Chairman of the Board, Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd., and Sanjiv Lamba, CEO, Linde
You can find more pictures of the launching event here!
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You can watch the launch here: