Full Title: The Geopolitics of Renewable Hydrogen
Author(s): Nicola De Blasio, Fridolin Pflugmann
Publisher(s): Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at the Harvard Kennedy School
Publication Date: May 14, 2021
Full Text: Download Resource
Description (excerpt):
The transition to a low-carbon energy system will likely shake up the geopolitical status quo that has governed global energy systems for over a century. Policymakers need to rethink the role their country could play in a new energy world.
Renewables are widely perceived as an opportunity to shatter the hegemony of fossil fuel-rich states and democratize the energy landscape. Virtually all countries have access to some renewable energy resources (especially solar and wind power) and could thus substitute foreign supply with local resources. Our research shows, however, that the role countries are likely to assume in decarbonized energy systems will be based not only on their resource endowment but also on their policy choices.
Our research shows that countries will likely assume specific roles in future renewable hydrogen systems and can be aggregated in five groups.