Green hydrogen is experiencing a worldwide hype due to its role in decarbonizing our future economy, especially in heavy industry sectors. Germany is capitalizing on this momentum by positioning itself as one of the global leaders of the hydrogen transition, forming numerous energy partnerships with countries around the world. These partnerships are intended to foster green hydrogen production in countries with high renewable energy potential. At the same time, they secure import stability for Germany, which lacks the capacity for domestic green hydrogen production necessary for industrial decarbonization. One of these partner countries is Uruguay, which has decarbonized its energy sector and is advertising its promising potential for green hydrogen production. The partnership between the two countries thus appears to be beneficial and conducive to a just transition. However, amidst the praise for green hydrogen, there are also critical voices questioning whether it truly facilitates a just transition or perpetuates a new form of green colonialism. Through a mixed method approach, this thesis aims to evaluate the green hydrogen strategies of both countries and whether they are perceived as just transitions. Thereby, the concept of hydrogen justice by Müller et al. (2022) serves as the theoretical framework. In order to address the research questions, a document analysis was conducted in order to analyze the countries' official hydrogen strategies. In addition, a questionnaire and semi-structured expert interviews were carried out to assess the perception of green hydrogen strategies in both countries. As a result, it was found that the strategies build a foundation on which a just hydrogen transition can be achieved. Nevertheless, there are many uncertainties and shortcomings and a lack of binding mechanisms. In addition, the experts paint an overall positive picture of a just hydrogen transition and emphasize the countries’ ambitions to facilitate participative and just structures. Yet, there are also opposing views among the experts, who criticize the governments of neglecting negative socio-ecological outcomes, especially on local populations. In the end, the future trajectory of green hydrogen is uncertain. However, this study highlights the importance of setting up sustainability standards and participatory processes, that engage all stakeholders in the decision-making process to enable a just transition to a green hydrogen economy.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:uu-530698 |
| Date | January 2024 |
| Creators | Leske, Ricarda |
| Publisher | Uppsala universitet, Institutionen för geovetenskaper |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
| Relation | Examensarbete vid Institutionen för geovetenskaper, 1650-6553 ; 11 |
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