COP 28 Summit
December 9, 2023
Dubai, UAE– Avance Labs participated in a blue-zone panel discussion convened by the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). The panel accompanied the launch of a landmark report jointly produced by the WTO and IRENA titled: "International Trade and Green Hydrogen: Supporting the Global Transition to a Low-carbon Economy". You can find the full article at WTO-Green Hydrogen
The report explores how trade policies can support the development of green hydrogen markets and play a significant role in matching supply and demand for green hydrogen and its derivatives. It also highlights how lowering tariffs on key products, building reliable infrastructure, realigning domestic support programs, and developing green government procurement can foster the development of green hydrogen supply chains and the transition to a low-carbon economy.
The panel was moderated by Dr. Aik Hoe Lim, Director, Trade and Environment Division, WTO, and featured a keynote address by Ms. Gauri Singh, Deputy Director-General, IRENA. Co-panelists included senior representatives from the Clean Air Task Force, NEOM Green Hydrogen Company, Fortescue, and the Asian Development Bank as well as Avance Labs.
Hydrogen certification was one of the topics addressed by the Panel. In response to Dr. Lim’s question regarding thoughts and the need for mutual recognition in certification, Dr. Michael Tsang, Chief Carbon Accounting Officer at Avance Labs and one of the architects of the Accredited I-TRACK (HX) Product Code for Hydrogen and Derivatives stated that “while the topic of mutual recognition and harmonization is understandable, there is a limit to the amount of ‘convergence’ or harmonization that can be achieved with certification due to various factors that might be related to political drivers, economic policies, or different interpretations of “greenhouse gas methodologies”, even if one such methodology secures universal agreement.” Dr Tsang continued by saying “however this is not a barrier and can be overcome using responsive ICT infrastructure, software, and appropriate labeling protocols which adapt to market regulations and different certification requirements in real time, which is related to our ongoing work at Avance”.
A few days before the WTO panel, the COP 28 Summit had witnessed the endorsement by 39 countries of the Hydrogen Declaration of Intent on the mutual recognition of certification schemes for low-carbon hydrogen, aimed at harmonizing approaches between countries. You can find it at: Declaration of Intent.
Avance Labs
Avance Labs is the owner and manager of the I-Track (HX) Product Code, a universal energy attribute tracking and certification system for hydrogen and hydrogen derivative fuels and products and as well as the Avance Product Passport for Net Zero (APP-NZTM). The I-Track (HX) Product Code is accredited by the I-Track Standard Foundation (formerly the I-REC Standard Foundation) and enabled by data science, machine-learning algorithms and the Internet of things (IoT).
The WTO Panel Discussion can be watched here.
For more information, visit http://avance.energy or by emailing hydrogencode@avance.energy.
