Is hydrogen a sustainable asset class?
Hydrogen is likely to be marginal in sustainable impact portfolios compared with electrification and renewables
Exposure to hydrogen remains marginal in the portfolios of sustainable impact investors, with emissions intensity across the value chain a key factor when considering its credentials as a green investment. While hydrogen produced from electrolysis using renewable or nuclear power has a much lower emissions intensity than grey hydrogen, for many applications—including light-duty transport, power generation and heating—direct use of renewables via electrification can often be regarded as more sustainable. “There are fewer energy losses, fewer risks of gas leakage and explosions as well as less exposure to risks of water stress compared to hydrogen—at least for wind and solar power,” Elchin Mam

Also in this section
14 May 2025
Defining moment for US hydrogen sector as House Republicans seek termination of green tax credits
13 May 2025
Existing specifications have been a good starting point for standardisation of hydrogen quality, but they need rethinking—a 99.5 mol-% specification is a promising candidate
12 May 2025
The sector needs a standard covering hydrogen quality for the entire value chain, but no single hydrogen quality covers the needs of all stakeholders
9 May 2025
Hydrogen quality is an increasingly important area for the sector. Though well-established standards are in place, they typically cover only certain parts of assets and value chain