Hydrogen Criteria

The Climate Bonds Initiative's Hydrogen Criteria define the technical and environmental benchmarks required for hydrogen-related financial instruments to be certified as green. The framework focuses on carbon intensity thresholds, decarbonisation measures, and adaptation and resilience requirements across the hydrogen value chain, from production to storage and delivery.

• The criteria establish a declining carbon intensity trajectory for hydrogen production, starting at 3.0 kgCO2e/kgH2 in 2023 and reaching 0 kgCO2e/kgH2 by 2050.
• For new facilities using fossil gas commencing operation in 2023 or later, certification is only possible if they implement Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) or Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU), with eligibility limited until 2035.
• Specific mitigation requirements for CCS and CCU infrastructure include a minimum capture rate of 90% from process and combustion/energy emission streams.
• Hydrogen production using electrolysis with renewable energy must demonstrate the use of 'additional' renewable electricity through captive power generation, power purchase agreements (PPAs) linked to new capacity, or the use of curtailed electricity.
• The framework includes a mandatory Adaptation and Resilience (A&R) checklist for production facilities, requiring assessments of physical climate risks such as temperature rise, extreme rainfall, sea-level rise, and wildfires.
• Hydrogen delivery projects, including conditioning, transportation, and storage, must demonstrate that the hydrogen they handle meets the carbon intensity thresholds defined for production.
• For hydrogen produced from biomass, only waste and residues are eligible; wood and dedicated crops are explicitly excluded.
• The criteria for entities and Sustainability Linked Bonds (SLBs) are divided into two tiers: Tier 1 requires meeting emissions thresholds at the time of certification, while Tier 2 allows for alignment with thresholds by 2030.

APA

Gençer, E., & Rodriguez, M. (2023). Hydrogen Criteria. Climate Bonds Initiative. https://www.climatebonds.net/files/drupal-files/files/criteria-document-hydrogen-production-and-delivery-draft-for-public-consultation-100823.pdf

Chicago

Gençer, Emre, and Marian Rodriguez. Hydrogen Criteria. Climate Bonds Initiative, 2023. https://www.climatebonds.net/files/drupal-files/files/criteria-document-hydrogen-production-and-delivery-draft-for-public-consultation-100823.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Gençer |first1=Emre |last2=Rodriguez |first2=Marian |title=Hydrogen Criteria |publisher=Climate Bonds Initiative |date=August 2023 |url=https://www.climatebonds.net/files/drupal-files/files/criteria-document-hydrogen-production-and-delivery-draft-for-public-consultation-100823.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{gener2023hydrogen, author = {Gençer, Emre and Rodriguez, Marian}, title = {{Hydrogen Criteria}}, institution = {Climate Bonds Initiative}, year = {2023}, month = aug, url = {https://www.climatebonds.net/files/drupal-files/files/criteria-document-hydrogen-production-and-delivery-draft-for-public-consultation-100823.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }