Headline: European and African Green Hydrogen Perspectives: Towards Sustainable Partnerships

Date/Venue: 29.3.2023, 16:30 – 17:45 @Federal Foreign Office (at BETD), by invitation
 
Organizers: Foreign Office, GET Hydrogen Project (RIFS Potsdam), H2 Diplo Project (GIZ)

Green hydrogen and its derivatives represent a key to the decarbonization of hard-to-electrify sectors, including industry and long-distance transport. With the formulation of climate-neutrality targets in Europe, the ramp-up of green hydrogen production for this purpose has gained increasing attention. The EU has set ambitious targets not only for the domestic production of hydrogen but also its import from outside the EU. Given their significant renewable energy potential, a range of African countries
represent important potential partners in this endeavor. Germany has been particularly active in exploring such partnership opportunities, developing collaborations with a series of governments on the continent. Despite these first steps, the uncertainties surrounding the issue remain manifold, ranging from the development of transport infrastructure to questions of technology to an evolving regulatory and standardization landscape.  

This event will explore the emerging hydrogen landscape with a focus on the prospects for cooperation between Europe and Africa. How can an international hydrogen economy support European and African ambitions within a future climate-neutral economy? What is needed to develop sustainable partnerships in the context of an emerging hydrogen economy? What are the key uncertainties and how can they be mitigated? What are the expectations of African and European policy makers, regarding the role of hydrogen in Europe and Africa?
 
The event will bring together German parliamentarians and stakeholders with policy makers from the African continent. It aims to promote an open and frank exchange on where the open questions and challenges lie in the effort to unlock hydrogen cooperation between European and African countries and firms. The event is intended to complement high-level panel discussions and statements in the BETD plenary sessions, either as an internal side-event at the BETD (28.3./29.3.) or at an external side-
event on 27.3. at the GIZ House (Potsdamer Platz). It represents a cooperation between the GET Hydrogen and the H2 Diplo projects, funded by the Federal Foreign Office.  

Agenda

• Welcome by Federal Foreign Office (Hr. Hicken, Beauftragter für Energie and/or Hr. Retzlaff, Beauftragter für Subsahara-Afrika
• Moderation: Rainer Quitzow, Research Institute for Sustainability (RIFS Potsdam) – Helmholtz Centre Potsdam
• Roundtable Discussion to be kicked-off by:

- Members of Delegations from Nigeria, Mauritania, Namibia (tbc)
- Lisa Badum, Member of German Parliament (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen), Chair of the Sub-Committee on International Climate Protection and Energy  
- Stefan Rouenhoff, Member of German Parliament (CDU/CSU), Chair of the Working Group on Africa of the CDU/CSU Parliamentary Group
- Andreas Rimkus, Member of German Parliament (SPD), SPD-Representative for Hydrogen (tbc)