1st Hydrogen Working Group Meeting

A successful virtual kick-off meeting of the Hydrogen Working Group was held on January 22, 2021, with appropriate momentum thanks to Japan's recently announced CO2 neutrality plans and recently agreed Green Growth Strategy, as well as Germany's hydrogen strategy published in 2020. The agenda was structured by three main topics. Against the backdrop of Japan's recently readjusted climate strategy, METI first gave an overview of the country's current hydrogen policy and presented its national as well as international projects along the hydrogen supply chain. The two partner countries then exchanged views on the respective regulatory frameworks and applied support mechanisms. The final topic of discussion was the expansion of international hydrogen supply chains, with both sides agreeing that the establishment of a global certification system for green and blue hydrogen is an important prerequisite for international hydrogen trade and will therefore remain a focus of the WG in the future.