Sustainability Certification for Renewable Hydrogen: An International Survey of Energy Professionals

Hydrogen produced from renewable energy is being promoted to decarbonise global energy systems. To support this energy transition, standards, certification, and labelling schemes (SCLs) aim to differentiate hydrogen products based on their system-wide carbon emissions and method of production characteristics. However, being certified as low-carbon, clean, or green hydrogen does not guarantee broader sustainability across economic, environmental, social, or governance dimensions. Through an international survey of energy-sector and sustainability professionals (n = 179), we investigated the desirable sustainability features for renewable hydrogen SCLs and the perceived advantages and disadvantages of sustainability certification. Our mixed-method study revealed general accordance on the feasible inclusion of diverse sustainability criteria in SCLs, albeit with varying degrees of perceived essentiality. Within the confines of the data, some differences in viewpoints emerged based on respondents’ geographical and supply chain locations, which were associated with the sharing of costs and benefits. Qualitatively, respondents found the idea of SCL harmonisation attractive but weighed this against the risks of duplication, complicated administrative procedures, and contradictory regulation. The implications of this research centre on the need for further studies to inform policy recommendations for an overarching SCL sustainability framework that embodies the principles of harmonisation in the context of multistakeholder governance.