[Title] COP29 Hydrogen Declaration

We, national governments and other stakeholders, including international organisations, financial institutions, philanthropies, private sector entities, and civil society organisations;

United in our commitments to urgently address climate change and achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement, particularly pursuing efforts to limit temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, and meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs);

Recalling, in particular, the goal to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all under SDG7;

Recognising the positive momentum generated by the outcomes of the 28th UN Climate Change Conference (Dubai, United Arab Emirates), G7 (Turin, Italy) and G20 (New Delhi, India) that acknowledge the role of renewable, clean/zero-emission and low-carbon hydrogen and its derivatives in accelerating the global clean energy transition;

Raising concern that while governments and the private sector have taken first steps to promote the adoption of renewable, clean/zero-emission and low-carbon hydrogen and its derivatives, these actions remain insufficient to align with global climate objectives;

Noting the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that renewable, clean/zero-emission and low-carbon hydrogen and its derivatives currently account for less than one million tonnes (Mt) while 96 Mt of hydrogen globally is produced from unabated fossil fuels, resulting in over 900 Mt of CO2 emissions per year;

Building on the outcome of the first Global Stocktake under the Paris Agreement as part of the UAE Consensus, particularly decision 1/CMA.5, paragraphs 27, 28 and 29, highlighting the need for deep, rapid and sustained reductions in greenhouse gas emissions in line with 1.5°C pathways and calling on governments to contribute to various global efforts, including accelerating zero- and low-emission technologies, including, inter alia, renewables, nuclear, as well as abatement and removal technologies;

Underscoring the unique role that renewable, clean/zero-emission and low-carbon hydrogen and its derivatives can play in contributing to these objectives by facilitating the integration of renewable energy, supporting the clean energy transition particularly in hard-to-abate sectors, and promoting economic opportunities and infrastructure development, while facilitating just and equitable transitions, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, including non-CO₂ emissions, particularly methane, in alignment with global climate objectives;

Noting the importance of leveraging existing international efforts, such as the Hydrogen Breakthrough and partner initiatives, to advance our commitments, including by helping to advance coordinated international action and to review progress in line with this Declaration;

We, the endorsers, hereby declare our commitment to:

Work together to scale up renewable, clean/zero-emission and low-carbon hydrogen production and deployment and accelerate decarbonisation of existing hydrogen production from unabated fossil fuels to facilitate energy transitions and achieve near-zero greenhouse gas emissions from hydrogen production, targeting particularly end-use sectors that are difficult to decarbonise, taking into consideration national circumstances.

We highlight the need to strengthen efforts, collective and individual, to fulfil this commitment, including by way of:

Stimulating demand for renewable, clean/zero-emission and low-carbon hydrogen and its derivatives, including through the advancement of demand-side measures, such as targets, incentives, mandates, public procurement initiatives and public-private partnerships to advance deployment particularly in end-use sectors that are difficult to decarbonise;

Accelerating the development of global standards to support the process of mutual recognition of certification schemes through continued international cooperation on improving compatibility, consistency, transparency, sustainability and interoperability of relevant frameworks and instruments, including by consideration of the adoption of or consistency with globally recognised standards for evidencing carbon intensity;

Supporting financial and technical assistance to deploy effective, efficient, and scalable instruments, particularly in developing countries, to accelerate investment in renewable, clean/zero-emission and low-carbon hydrogen and its derivatives across the value chain;

Promoting just transitions and capacity building to assist in reskilling and upskilling industry workforces and providing essential information to policymakers to unlock quality jobs and new economic opportunities, green industrialisation and socio-economic growth, particularly in emerging markets and developing economies, to facilitate safe, inclusive and equitable just transitions while pursuing the acceleration of renewable, clean/zero-emission and low-carbon hydrogen and its derivatives;

Advancing global trade through international collaboration and public-private partnerships to support the development of cross-border value chains, including enabling infrastructure and the wider supply chain, as well as pursuing a level-playing field to pave the way for an international market for renewable, clean/zero-emission and low-carbon hydrogen and its derivatives;

Investing in research, development and demonstration (RD&D) and knowledge-exchange across the renewable, clean/zero-emission and low-carbon hydrogen value chain and working together with other governments and stakeholders to support continued innovation and sharing of best practices, and increase the number and geographical distribution of hydrogen demonstration projects across high-value end-use sectors;

Promoting climate and environmental stewardship and actively addressing the sustainability aspects of hydrogen through pursuing actions to help ensure hydrogen systems are maximally beneficial to the climate across the hydrogen value chain and conducted in an environmentally and socially responsible manner, including by minimising greenhouse gas emissions associated with hydrogen production and use, minimising energy and hydrogen losses throughout the value chain, and mitigating potential impacts to air quality, water resources and land use;

Encouraging the integration of renewable, clean/zero-emission and low-carbon hydrogen and its derivatives into national climate and energy plans, where relevant and possible, and subject to national circumstances.

This Declaration represents our collective intent to drive forward the global agenda for renewable, clean/zero-emission and low-carbon hydrogen and its derivatives, placing our climate commitments at the centre, working to ensure sustainable, just and equitable energy transitions for all.

We commit to reconvene at the 30th UN Climate Change Conference to discuss progress in our collective efforts.

States which endorsed "COP29 Hydrogen Declaration"

* Germany endorses the COP29 Hydrogen Declaration combined with the following protocol statement: "The German government endorses the COP29 Hydrogen Declaration in the understanding that it is up to each country to finance different forms of hydrogen according to different national circumstances, priorities and approaches. Germany maintains the view that only those technologies that are safe, sustainable and adhere to the highest standards of environmental integrity, particularly renewable energy technologies shall be promoted."