Research Institute for
Sustainability | at GFZ

Geopolitics of Energy and Industrial Transformation

Prof. Dr. Rainer Quitzow

Research Group Leader

Prof. Dr. Doris Fuchs

Scientific Director
The energy transition is more than the development of new infrastructures and technologies; it entails far-reaching changes in society and the economy.
© Shutterstock/Love Silhouette

A global transition to sustainable energy is accompanied by important changes in the geopolitics and governance of energy. Against this background, the research group investigates how the global energy transition is affecting the international political economy of energy and identifies implications for foreign policy and international cooperation. It focuses in particular on the development of industrial strategies to reach climate neutrality targets against the background of increasing geoeconomic rivalry. An important example for this is the development of an international hydrogen economy and related political and economic change.

Transdisciplinary research for actionable solutions

The team combines disciplinary expertise from the fields of political science, economics and the environmental and physical sciences with expert knowledge from practitioners and policy makers in the energy sector. By engaging practitioners from government, business and civil society in our transdisciplinary research processes, we co-create actionable policy proposals and solutions.

Projects

A source of hope: green hydrogen produced with electricity from renewable resources.

Techno-Economic and Political Dimensions of a Global Hydrogen Economy

Wind turbines in the Indian state of Rajasthan: renewable energies are on the rise across the globe.

Politics and Governance of the Global Energy Transition

Production of a superconducting cable

Superconducting cables for sustainable energy transition (SCARLET)

Hydrogen is widely regarded as a central component of the global energy transition.

Geopolitics of the Energy Transformation: Sustainability Governance in the Hydrogen Sector

Expired Projects in Group

Germany has to buy a large part of its green hydrogen from wind- and sun-rich regions of the world.

Global Potentials for the Production and Export of Green Hydrogen (HYPAT)

Green hydrogen

Geopolitics of the Energy Transformation: Implications of an International Hydrogen Economy (GET Hydrogen)

The value chains of the global hydrogen economy are constantly evolving.

Scoping Study: Monitoring the Global Hydrogen Economy

English Version

Social Sustainability Barometer of the Energy Transition

Increasingly, discussions of the energy transition are revolving around questions of fairness, justice, and social responsibility, with a particular focus on financing, public acceptance of wind turbines and transmission lines, the coal phase-out, and working conditions in the wind and solar industry.
Green hydrogen is considered a promising energy resource.

A European Roadmap for Green Hydrogen

Smart home automation systems help save energy.

Decarbonisation of the Energy System

Superconducting electric cables could provide benefits in terms of size, costs, efficiency and environmental impact.

BEyond State-of-the-art Technologies for rePowering Ac corridors and multi-Terminal HVDC Systems (BEST PATHS)

African engineer standing in front of wind turbine

Mapping of Energy Initiatives in Africa for the Africa-EU Energy Partnership

Solar power plant in Somalia

The Future of Energy Supply in Africa

Team

Prof. Dr. Rainer Quitzow

Research Group Leader

Dr. Adela Marian

Scientific Project Leader

Dr. Laima Eicke

Research Associate

Yana Zabanova

Research Associate

M. Sc. Maximilian Rischer

Research Associate

Finn Haberkost

Research Associate

Niklas Kramer

Student Assistant

Jeremy Oestreich

Student Assistant

Christina Stobernack

Administrator

Ekaterina Funk

Project Assistant
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News

Fertilisers are important for food security, but cause problems for the environment and climate.

War and Climate Crisis Drive Emerging Transformation of Fertiliser Industry

Although fertilisers are essential for global food production, they also contribute to global greenhouse gas emissions. The war in Ukraine caused supply chain disruptions and price increases. How can fertiliser production become more sustainable and resilient to geopolitical crises? In an article in the journal “One Earth”, a team from the Research Institute for Sustainability (RIFS) at the GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences analyses this question.
RIFS wissenschaftlicher Direktor Mark Lawrence

Mark Lawrence Appointed to the German Academy of Science and Engineering

Mark G. Lawrence, Director of the Research Institute for Sustainability (RIFS) - Helmholtz Centre Potsdam, has been appointed a member of the National Academy of Science and Engineering of Germany (acatech). In a statement on the new appointments, the Academy writes: “Our new members have demonstrated exceptional excellence in their respective disciplines and join the ranks of acatech’s 682 members."
The database enables users to track political trends and priorities in the early phase of hydrogen market development. It includes Australia, Canada, China, Germany, Japan, Spain, the UK, the USA and the European Union.

International Hydrogen Policy Tracker

Green hydrogen is set to play a key role in efforts to transform the industrial, transportation, and energy sectors for a sustainable, low-carbon future. Germany will have to meet the bulk of its hydrogen needs through imports from regions with more abundant wind and solar resources. Scientists at the Research Institute for Sustainability - Helmholtz Centre Potsdam (RIFS) have developed a database to track global policy trends and emerging priorities in this early phase of market development.
Hydrogen Europe Germany Study Brief

Study Outlines Key Role of National and EU Policy to Control Emissions from German Hydrogen Economy

Hydrogen is set to play an important role in a future low-carbon economy. However, the hydrogen value chain comes with a set of emissions challenges that need to be addressed for hydrogen deployment to help achieve climate goals. A study prepared by the Research Institute for Sustainability – Helmholtz Centre Potsdam (RIFS) with support from Environmental Defense Fund Europe evaluates the potential impact of climate-warming emissions in Germany’s future hydrogen economy and provides recommendations for German and EU policymakers on how to avoid them.
Kipppunkt tipping point

Tipping Points as Indicators of Positive Change

As global climate targets tighten, radical and disruptive changes are becoming inevitable. In this context, the concept of tipping points, by which small changes can trigger rapid systemic transformation, is attracting increasing attention in the social sciences. In a new study published in the journal Global Environmental Change, a team from the Research Institute for Sustainability – Helmholtz Centre Potsdam (RIFS) draws on two case studies to show that socio-technical tipping points can be anticipated.
Solarkraftwerk Sevilla Spanien Energiewende

Where Leading Countries Stand in the Transition to Renewable Heating, Road Transport and Electricity

The sluggish rate of progress made in the energy transition is putting the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050 at risk. On the positive side, with early warning indicators guiding timely and targeted interventions, we can accelerate progress across several domains. An international study by the Research Institute for Sustainability - Helmholtz Centre Potsdam (RIFS) in cooperation with the Bertelsmann Stiftung provides an approach to evaluate the electricity, private transport and building heating sectors.
Supercon

Superconducting Cables for a Sustainable Energy Transition

Superconductors – materials that can conduct electricity without any resistance – were discovered over a century ago. As these materials must be cooled to very low temperatures to achieve superconductivity, they have not been used to transport electricity over long distances to date. But this could soon change, with researchers set to bring a number of systems for long-distance electricity transmission to market maturity. Among these is a dual-benefit technology: a superconducting cable that is cooled with hydrogen, enabling the delivery of electricity and hydrogen to facilities such as harbours and cement works.
The Geopolitics of Hydrogen

“The Geopolitics of Hydrogen”: Book explores European strategies

The European Union and many European countries have ambitious targets for the production and import of hydrogen. The book ‘The Geopolitics of Hydrogen’, edited by RIFS researchers Rainer Quitzow and Yana Zabanova, provides a comprehensive analysis of EU hydrogen policy and the national strategies of European countries.
Germany's engagement with partner countries for the promotion of green hydrogen

Success of German Hydrogen Strategy Depends on Production Capacities in Partner Countries

Germany aims to become a global leader in hydrogen technologies. In contrast to other countries, its hydrogen strategy places a strong focus on promoting “green hydrogen” based on renewable energies, supported by cooperation with partners in distant regions. While this approach is likely to constrain progress at first, it may be the only way for Germany to achieve its climate targets in the longer run, RIFS researchers argue in a study published in Energy Strategy Reviews. At the same time, this means that the success of Germany’s hydrogen strategy depends on the development of production capacities in partner countries.
Green hydrogen is considered a promising energy resource.

Europe Is Not Making Sufficient Use of Its Hydrogen Potential

To reach climate neutrality, Europe’s industry will need large quantities of carbon-neutral hydrogen in the future. Many European countries, including Germany, are planning large investments to develop and ramp up the hydrogen industry needed for this. Within the HyPat research project, a new study by RIFS Potsdam, Fraunhofer ISI and the German Energy Agency (dena) makes five recommendations to the EU and the Member States.
Solar roofs in Kenya: More and more governments are embracing the idea of "green growth".

Strategic Framing, Financial Support and Capacity-Building Could Raise Climate Ambitions

The world’s technologically advanced countries have called for the adoption of a ‘green growth’ model of economic development in international climate negotiations. But advocacy alone will not motivate countries to protect the climate. Policymakers should highlight other benefits of climate action, such as for health and food security, researchers recommend in a new study.
A solar array in Kazakhstan, where interest in renewable energy is growing.

Interest in Renewable Energy Slowly Growing in Resource-Rich Countries in Central Asia

Fossil fuel industries dominate the economies of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. However, interest in green technologies, renewable energy, and hydrogen is also gathering pace – albeit unevenly – in the three Central Asian states, according to a recent study by RIFS researcher Yana Zabanova
Wasserstoff gilt als entscheidend für das Erreichen von Netto-Null.

Research Examines International Hydrogen Policies

As countries get to grips with their climate-neutrality targets, hydrogen has assumed a key role in transitions in energy and industry around the world. A new series of discussion papers published by the Research Institute for Sustainability (RIFS) provides a detailed analysis of hydrogen strategies and policies in different countries and regions.
China is pursing a strategy aimed at expanding the supply of hydrogen from all sources

China's Hydrogen Strategy: Sustainable Generation Not A Priority

Hydrogen is widely viewed as a beacon of hope for the global energy transition. China is pursuing an ambitious agenda to strengthen its hydrogen sector. As a new RIFS Study of China's emerging hydrogen economy shows, its current efforts prioritize industrial development ahead of decarbonization and energy security concerns.
hydrogenproduction Gulfstates

Why the Gulf States Are Betting on Hydrogen

Why are Gulf oil and gas producers so keen to promote hydrogen energy? This question is addressed in a new discussion paper by Natalie Koch, political geographer and fellow at the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS). She concludes that for political and corporate leaders in the Gulf states, pivoting towards hydrogen serves to maintain the social, political, and economic status quo. Questions of energy justice are likely to remain, however.
On 28th and 29th of September, the partners of the SCARLET project gathered at the IASS for their kick-off meeting.

Superconducting Cables for Europe’s Clean Energy Future

Rising amounts of renewable energy coupled with an increase in decentralised power generation call for the modernisation and significant expansion of the European grids. The EU project SCARLET (“Superconducting cables for sustainable energy transition”) unites 15 partners from 7 countries around the goal of designing and industrially manufacturing superconducting cables to enable more efficient and less costly power transmission from renewable electricity generation sites.
Green hydrogen is set to make an important contribution to decarbonisation.

Monitoring the Global Hydrogen Economy

Green hydrogen is set to make an important contribution to decarbonising industry, aviation and heavy transport. An IASS Discussion Paper presents a monitoring framework to systematically compile the most important trends and developments in the global hydrogen economy. Monitoring based on this framework could help to continuously review measures taken in the context of German and European hydrogen policy.
Solar power is booming across the globe.

Integrating International Quality Standards in Solar Auctions

Solar power is booming across the globe, and public auctions have become the dominant policy tool for deployment. But a lack of solar-specific experience and capacity in newly adopting countries can result in technical failures and lower solar plant performance. International quality standards used as technical requirements in the design of public auctions could offer a solution. An IASS Policy Brief outlines the potential benefits and challenges.
Wind power infrastructure will need to be expanded rapidly if Germany is to meet the increasing demand for electricity and achieve its climate protection targets.

Accelerating the Expansion of Wind Power

Ensuring the successful expansion of wind power will require the broad involvement of citizens. A new IASS Policy Brief offers recommendations for policymakers on how they can rally citizens behind the goals of the energy transition, support public participation at the municipal level, and improve the equity of participation opportunities.

Energy Transition Enjoys Broad Support among German Populace – and for Most, is not Proceeding Fast Enough

What does German public opinion say about the clean-energy transition? According to the findings of a recent representative survey, almost 80 percent of Germans see the decarbonization of the energy and transport sectors as a collective responsibility. More than half think the transformation is not occurring with sufficient speed. In addition, most view the transformation as too expensive.

Blog Posts

Hydrogen could help with the decarbonisation of steel production.

17.04.2025

The Role of Hydrogen Emissions for a Climate-neutral Industry

Hydrogen is an important energy carrier that will be essential for decarbonizing our economies, in particular for industrial sectors like steel and chemical production. But hydrogen itself is an indirect greenhouse gas (GHG), and emissions along the hydrogen value chain – including those of methane and CO2 if blue hydrogen is part of the mix – have the potential to reduce the climate benefits of hydrogen if not properly managed. In a recent study, we evaluated the potential impact of climate-warming emissions in Germany’s future hydrogen economy and provide recommendations for German and EU policymakers on how to avoid them.
Agriculture accounts for 80 percent of the water consumed in Spain. Green hydrogen production will likely compete for an already scacre environmental resource.

21.01.2025

Water Scarcity and Green Hydrogen Production in Spain

With one of the highest renewable energy potentials in the EU, Spain has strong ambitions to become a key player in the emerging green hydrogen economy. It recently adopted the target of installing 12 GW of electrolyzer capacity for green hydrogen production by 2030, which makes it the most ambitious producer country in Europe, However, these ambitions could exacerbate conflicts over environmental resources due to the vast quantitites of water required for the production of green hydrogen.
COP

13.12.2024

COP29 Puts Azerbaijan on the Global Climate Map

Hosting the landmark event raised Azerbaijan’s international profile despite criticism of the country’s limited climate achievements and its human rights record. 
Collage

16.12.2024

The Energy Transition Needs More Social Science Research

Research in the social sciences contributes to transformations in the industrial and energy sectors in Germany and Europe, yet it is frequently neglected in research funding. It is time for programmes to intensify their focus on the political and social dimensions of the energy transition, write Lukas Hermwille (Wuppertal Institute), Rainer Quitzow (RIFS/TU Berlin) and Andreas Goldthau (Universität Erfurt/RIFS).
map

22.11.2024

How States Around the World Are Crafting Markets for Green Hydrogen

Green hydrogen will play an essential role in the decarbonization of hard-to-abate industries, including the steel, cement, fertilizer, shipping and aviation sectors. Governments worldwide are developing policies with the aim of shaping green hydrogen markets. As part of its work on the HYPAT project, the research group on Geopolitics of Energy and Industrial Transformation has developed a unique database on green hydrogen policies that will enable researchers to track political trends and governments’ priorities in this early stage of market development.
Ilham Aliyev, on the right, and Ursula von der Leyen, with the new Memorandum of Understanding on a Strategic Partnership in the Field of Energy

11.11.2024

The EU and Azerbaijan as Energy Partners: Short-Term Benefits, Uncertain Future

Azerbaijan has strengthened its energy ties with the EU since 2022, ramping up gas deliveries and articulating ambitions to export renewable energy and green hydrogen to Europe in the future. However, the EU’s shrinking gas demand and Azerbaijan’s lack of a genuine decarbonization strategy cast uncertainty on the long-term prospects of this partnership – all the more so given the EU’s persistent criticism of political repression and human rights violations in the South Caucasus republic.
Kirill Neiezhmakov

24.09.2024

Kazakhstan’s Hydrogen Ambitions Should Extend Beyond Exports

The EU can provide valuable assistance for Kazakhstan when it comes to developing a hydrogen strategy, from regulatory frameworks to sustainability standards, writes RIFS researcher Yana Zabanova in an article first published on 13 September, 2024, by Carnegie Politika.
Saran Solar Farm in Kazakhstan’s coal-rich Karaganda Region.

02.07.2024

Kazakhstan: Central Asia’s Energy Transition Pioneer

In the geopolitics of the global energy transformation, Kazakhstan’s enormous wind and solar potential – coupled with land availability and rich reserves of critical raw materials – represent a strong strategic advantage. Renewables can supply low-cost power to the growing population, bolster energy security and reduce power imports, help decarbonise industry and transport, and attract foreign investment. For a fossil-dependent economy like Kazakhstan, harnessing these benefits is essential for adapting to the decarbonising global economy and contributing to global climate action.
Solar panels at a gas storage facility in the Netherlands.

29.12.2023

How Decarbonization Will Transform the Geography of Industrial Production: New Evidence on the “Renewables Pull” Hypothesis

The availability of renewable energy is an important factor for future investment decisions in the chemical and steel industry. This is a key finding of our survey of 300 decision-makers from the chemical and steel industry. 92 per cent of the respondents anticipate that their company will relocate facilities as it seeks to decarbonize production. In addition to low-cost renewable energies, the respondents identify political support as a key factor in investment location decisions.
Fertilizers are a cornerstone of modern agriculture, silently underpinning the sustenance of 8 billion people daily.

06.12.2023

The Geopolitics and Decarbonization of Fertilizer Supply Chains

In the vast arena of global commodities, fertilizers play a silent yet fundamental role. With a market value of $207 billion, they are a cornerstone of modern agriculture, silently underpinning the sustenance of 8 billion people daily. But this essential industry is at a crossroads, grappling with the enormous challenges of decarbonization, volatile geopolitics, and the imperative of food security. The RIFS research project "Geopolitics of the Energy Transformation: Implications of an International Hydrogen Economy" hosted a series of webinars on the "Geopolitics of Fertilizer Supply Chains" about the complexities of the fertilizer industry and the most urgent challenges facing this crucial sector.
Green hydrogen offers opportunities to develop technological leadership within an emerging net-zero economy.

25.09.2023

The Political Economy of Green Hydrogen in Europe: Reinforcing Regional Inequalities?

In February 2023, the EU presented the Green Deal Industrial Plan, in which it laid out its strategy for the green transition in industry and energy. Green hydrogen will be an essential cornerstone of this transition. The scale-up of renewable hydrogen production and its use in industry and transport has the potential to achieve decarbonization where direct electrification is not an option. Green hydrogen also offers opportunities to develop technological leadership and economic perspectives within a future net-zero economy.
Windräder im Abendlicht Erneuerbare

07.08.2023

The Right Way to Intervene in Clean Tech

Energy markets have clearly failed to accelerate the deployment of renewables. But as the pendulum swings in the direction of state intervention, policymakers must create the conditions for the public and private sectors to work together to manage a timely green transition and avoid a popular backlash against climate goals.
The Clean Hydrogen Strategy and Roadmap is an important signal of political support for the establishment of clean hydrogen hubs in the United States.

04.08.2023

Clean Hydrogen Hubs: A Crucial Instrument in the US Hydrogen Strategy

The European continent dominated the global hydrogen race before 2022, with France, the Netherlands, Norway, Germany, Spain, Portugal, and the European Union all presenting ambitious hydrogen strategies by 2020 that outlined their major areas of action and objectives, along with key policy interventions to achieve those goals. Nonetheless, in the fall of 2022, the world's attention shifted to the United States. An initial draft of its long-awaited Clean Hydrogen Strategy and Roadmap was published by the US Department of Energy (DOE), and in the summer of 2023, the final version of the strategy was issued (U.S. National Clean Hydrogen Strategy and Roadmap, referred to hereafter as “the strategy”).

07.11.2022

Discussing future hydrogen geographies in Europe: a conversation that is overdue

The transition to renewable energy in Europe has evolved dynamically since the turn of the century. The share of renewable energy in the European Union more than doubled between 2004 and 2022. Nevertheless, renewable energy represents only 22 percent of overall energy consumption and 37 percent of electricity generation in the EU. In other words, Europe still has a long way to go, even when it comes to the relatively easy task of converting its electricity production to renewables.
Container ship on the Strait of Juan de Fuca, on the west coast of North America.

06.07.2022

Hydrogen in Canada: War in Ukraine kindles new interest

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has intensified European policymakers’ interest in developing energy trade relations with Canada, as the former is seeking to identify reliable partners to swiftly diversify its fossil fuel imports.
Is hydrogen the energy carrier of the future?

11.05.2022

The promise of African clean hydrogen exports: potentials and pitfalls

Abundant energy resources in many parts of Africa position the continent as a potential location for the production and export of climate-friendly hydrogen, either based on renewable electricity (green hydrogen) or natural gas in combination with carbon capture and storage technologies (blue hydrogen). Green hydrogen is produced via electrolysis by splitting water molecules into their component parts using renewable electricity, while blue hydrogen is produced by splitting natural gas into hydrogen and CO2 – after which the CO2 needs to be captured and stored.
A row of cars, trucks, and lorries running through the flooded road.

15.03.2022

Vulnerable supply chains in times of Covid-19 and climate change: A call for a new research agenda

The Covid-19 pandemic gives us a glimpse of what climate change has in store for us concerning our globalized economic system. More research is needed to help us better understand these complex interconnections and to translate such insights into instruments to support decision-making.
President of Tuvalu gives COP26 address, November 2021.

22.02.2022

Climate targets are unachievable without a financial deal for developing countries

The G7 Summit in June offers an opportunity to provide tangible funding commitments to developing countries in the fight against climate change. If offers fall short, the world faces the risk that rising global inequality will derail international climate efforts, writes Dr Rainer Quitzow.
Solar hybrid mini-grid power plant in Shimankar Community, Shendam Local Government Area, Nigeria.

11.01.2022

The Nigerian Electrification Project – An example of a successful rural electrification design?

Nigeria has one of the lowest net electricity generation per capita rates in the world with an estimated national electrification rate of 55% and rural electrification rate of only 39%. To achieve universal access to electricity by 2030, Nigeria will need to connect between 500,000 to 800,000 households per year, especially focused on the rural areas.
Signing of the Implementation Agreement for Nigeria in Abuja. From left to right: Onyeche Tifase, CEO Siemens Nigeria, Alex Okoh, Director General of Bureau of Public Enterprises, Joe Kaeser, President and CEO of Siemens AG and Regine Hess, German deputy ambassador to Nigeria.

20.09.2021

The Siemens-Nigeria Electrification Roadmap Partnership: After Two Years, Where Does It Stand?

The Nigerian government and German energy company Siemens AG signed the Nigerian Electrification Roadmap (NER) partnership, also known as the Presidential Power Initiative (PPI) in 2019. The Roadmap contains technical and commercial proposals for financing, implementing, and executing projects to revive the Nigerian power sector and manage Nigeria’s future electricity requirements.

Events

28.10.2025 - 29.10.2025
The Clean Hydrogen Strategy and Roadmap is an important signal of political support for the establishment of clean hydrogen hubs in the United States.
Conference

Industrial decarbonization and hydrogen: The politics and economics of sustainable structural transformation

This conference will take stock of new research insights into the opportunities and challenges related to industrial decarbonization and the ramp-up of low-emission hydrogen. It places particular emphasis on techno-economic pathways and policies that may lead to inclusive and sustainable development in low- and middle-income countries.
22.10.2025
Green hydrogen
Online Event

Governance for a Sustainable Hydrogen Ramp-Up: Insights from the Asia-Pacific

Through a series of webinars, the Research Institute for Sustainability is fostering dialogue on these issues. Against this background, this event will present findings from a study on sustainability governance in the hydrogen sector, focusing on approaches in India, South Korea, and Japan. The study was co-developed by RIFS with partner institutions and experts from the Asia-Pacific region.
15.10.2025
Green hydrogen
Fachgespräch in Berlin

Wie fördern wir einen nachhaltigen Wasserstoff-Hochlauf?

Die Veranstaltung soll Impulse für eine naturverträgliche und sozial gerechte Wasserstoffwirtschaft setzen. Auf Grundlage von Forschungsarbeiten des RIFS Potsdam und des WWF werden zentrale Ergebnisse vorgestellt. Dazu gehören ein Überblick über die Governance-Architektur für einen nachhaltigen Wasserstoffhochlauf, Erfahrungen aus anderen Sektoren und Regionen sowie Analysen zu Regulierungen, Standards, Zertifizierungssystemen, ESG-Ansätzen im Finanzsektor und internationalen Stakeholder-Perspektiven. Darauf aufbauend werden Empfehlungen zur Weiterentwicklung der Nachhaltigkeitsgovernance präsentiert und in einem Roundtable mit Vertreter:innen aus Politik, Wirtschaft, Wissenschaft und Zivilgesellschaft diskutiert.
07.07.2025
Online Event

Governance for a Sustainable Hydrogen Economy: Lessons from Bioenergy in the European Union

Green hydrogen is emerging as a key solution for decarbonizing hard-to-abate sectors and offers significant value-creation potential, especially in countries with abundant renewable energy resources. However, hydrogen production also presents environmental and social challenges—particularly regarding land and water use. If not properly managed, these impacts can undermine local acceptance and lead to social conflict or environmental degradation.
24.03.2025
Enabling
Seminar

Seminar: Enabling a Sustainable Hydrogen Market Ramp-Up

Date: 24th March 2025 (full day)
Venue: Palais de Nations (UN), 8-14 Avenue de la Paix Geneva, Switzerland (Room H-307-1)
Collaboration: RIFS, Oxford Institute for Energy Studies, Florence School of Regulation, UNECE

About the Event

The success of an international hydrogen market hinge...
28.11.2024
Online Event Series

Beyond CO2: Ensuring a sustainable hydrogen ramp-up

Green hydrogen is emerging as a key solution for decarbonizing hard-to-abate sectors and offers significant value-creation opportunities in renewable-rich countries. However, hydrogen production also comes with challenges. Potential environmental impacts are significant, particularly on land and water use. Undesirable developments pose a risk to the acceptance of hydrogen production and harbor the potential for conflict. If not properly managed, these challenges can lead to negative environmental impacts and risks for local communities and their livelihoods.
14.03.2024
Seminar

Incentivising hydrogen demand: Critical challenges and opportunities

This seminar on creating hydrogen demand focuses on questions such as decarbonising hard-to-abate sectors, market design, legislation/regulation, and bankability, and local demand or international off-take agreements.
22.02.2024 - 23.02.2024
Online conference

Green hydrogen: fueling just decarbonization or ‘greening’ extractivism?

Green hydrogen is being discussed globally as one of the necessary contributions to a decarbonized economy. However, its role in achieving a just transition is controversial. While some argue that it has the potential to contribute significantly to the transition to just and sustainable energy sy...
05.02.2024
Workshop/Call for Papers

Climate Finance and Investment in Times of Crisis: Towards a New Partnership with the Global South

This workshop will explore the evolution of climate finance within the context of the current vacuum of leadership within the international system. The goal of the workshop is to build a network of scholars in the field and discuss possible applications for a research grant on the topic.
26.10.2023
Webinar

Geopolitics of Global Fertilizer Supply Chains: Decarbonization and its Implications for Africa

The Research Institute for Sustainability Potsdam (RIFS) is pleased to announce the second installment in its webinar series, this time focusing on the decarbonization of the fertilizer industry and the consequent implications for the African continent.
13.10.2023
Hydrogen bus

The UK Hydrogen Strategy: A Partner for Europe?

A roundtable discussion jointly organised by the Research Institute for Sustainability (RIFS Potsdam) and the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies (OIES)
12.10.2023
Study Launch & Discussion

Hydrogen in the Nordics

On the occasion of the publication of a policy paper on hydrogen strategies in the Nordic countries and the potential for closer cooperation within and beyond the region for the development of a European hydrogen economy, the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES), in cooperation with the Research Institute for Sustainability - RIFS Potsdam (Germany), Tankesmien Agenda (Norway), and the Kalevi Sorsa Foundation (Finland) is hosting a German-Nordic expert discussion.
04.10.2023
Webinar

Geopolitics of Global Fertilizer Supply Chains: Implications of the War in Ukraine

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has had profound impacts on global supply chains and food security, particularly influencing the production and trade of synthetic fertilizers closely interwoven with the energy and agricultural sectors. As part of the "Geopolitics of Energy Transformation" project funded by the German Federal Foreign Office, this roundtable aims to shed light on the geopolitical dynamics and vulnerabilities inherent to fertilizer supply chains, including the ramifications of decarbonization initiatives.
28.09.2023

2. Berliner Dialogforum: Partnerschaftlicher Aufbau einer globalen Wasserstoffwirtschaft – Kernaspekte und Herausforderungen

Das 2. Berliner Dialogforum widmet sich der Schlüsselfrage, wie ein international partnerschaftlicher Aufbau einer Wasserstoffwirtschaft gelingen kann.
Passen die deutschen Importziele mit den Interessen möglicher Lieferländer außerhalb der EU zusammen? Wie kann der Aufbau einer Wasserstoffökonomie partnerschaftlich, unter hohem Zeitdruck und großen Unsicherheiten realisiert werden? Welche Herausforderungen sind dabei zu lösen?
04.07.2023
Hydrogen is regarded as an energy source of the future.

France’s Hydrogen Vision and Its Significance for Europe and Beyond

In the race for technological leadership, France can draw on its surplus nuclear power and a significant renewable energy potential, world-class innovation clusters, strong political support, and the presence of several global-scale private players. At the same time, with its strong emphasis on energy independence, France has been sceptical about the EU’s vision of large-scale hydrogen imports and reluctant to actively promote a cross-European hydrogen infrastructure.
26.04.2023

Spain’s Hydrogen Vision and Its Role in the Emerging European Hydrogen Economy

By contributing both to the EU’s decarbonization and its energy security - and thus to Europe’s greater geopolitical resilience - Spain is hoping to claim a more central role in the European energy system.
What are the main drivers behind Spain’s hydrogen policy and what has changed since the Russian invasion of Ukraine?
How is Spain seeking to engage with actors within and outside of the EU to promote its hydrogen vision?
How can Spain contribute to the development of a European hydrogen economy and what are the necessary preconditions?
25.04.2023
Kooperationschance oder Verdrängungswettbewerb?

EU, China und der Aufbau einer Wasserstoff-Wirtschaft

Wasserstoff gilt als Schlüsseltechnologie für den Umbau von Industrien und Volkswirtschaften auf dem Weg zur Klimaneutralität. Wir werfen im Rahmen eines Expertengesprächs einen Blick auf den technologischen Entwicklungsstand in China, mögliche politische und wirtschaftliche Konsequenzen und skizzieren Handlungsoptionen für Deutschland und die EU.
16.03.2023
Seminar

Scaling-Up Hydrogen Production: Critical Challenges and Bottlenecks

In this workshop, experts will come together to take a closer look at the specific challenges and uncertainties surrounding both "Green" and "Blue" hydrogen. The aim is to bring together the evidence base as well as stimulate discussions for comparing and assessing these two production pathways.
28.02.2023
Hydrogen foreign policy
Discussion

Entry points for developing a hydrogen foreign policy: How to build partnerships and balance climate protection and geopolitical risks?

International cooperation between the EU and potential partners in the context of the emerging hydrogen economy is of crucial importance. This event discusses the key questions and challenges for promoting international cooperation within an emerging hydrogen economy while pursuing climate protection policies and accounting for the current geopolitical risks.
14.02.2023
Study presentation

Green Hydrogen and International Cooperation

Lead author Rainer Quitzow (RIFS Potsdam) will publicly present the results of the study "Building partnerships for an international hydrogen economy. Entry-points for European policy action", followed by a discussion with Christiane Averbeck (Climate Alliance Germany), Markus Exenberger (H2Global Foundation), Maira Kusch (World Energy Council - Germany), and Andreas Rimkus (SPD Parliamentary Group).