Will International Law Keep Up with the Rise of Hydrogen Energy?

Aftab Haider; Jamil Afzal; Rinel Urazayeva

doi:10.64060/ICPP.10

Authors

Aftab Haider School of International Law, Southwest University of Political Science and Law, China Author https://orcid.org/0009-0009-3339-5057
Jamil Afzal School of International Law, Southwest University of Political Science and Law, China Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5640-0578
Rinel Urazayeva School of International Law, Southwest University of Political Science and Law, China Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.64060/ICPP.10

Keywords:

Hydrogen Energy, International Law, Sustainable Energy Transition, Environmental Justice

Abstract

Hydrogen energy has emerged as the global power shift towards clean energy sources in the fight against climate change. However, just as technology moves forward at a fast pace, the legal structures that are required to support the growth of hydrogen are not there, which raises many problems. The hydrogen trade is much more complicated and has many restrictions in the international market; developing nations have challenges like restricted access to hydrogen equipment and infrastructure, demonstrating significant shortcomings in international legal frameworks that guarantee fairness. As for emissions from blue hydrogen and safety issues in storage, these issues demonstrate that global liability frameworks have significant vulnerabilities. The lack of a simple and consistent legal basis for hydrogen production and consumption may impede the development of a hydrogen economy. Some of the important issues that this article discusses are whether the existing international laws can accommodate the growth of hydrogen or whether there is a need to create a new framework as a whole. With the hydrogen revolution already underway, it is time for the laws to catch up to enable a fair, inclusive, and sustainable transition.

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