Within the framework of the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Eight Global Review of Aid for Trade, which will take place under the theme “Empowering Connected, Sustainable Trade” from 27 to 29 July 2022, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and Germany will host a session to discuss the opportunities for industrial development created by green hydrogen and to address structural elements of national and international energy trade.

In particular, the panel discussion will seek to highlight the importance of boosting trade capacities and the local use of hydrogen by developing countries as well as means to overcome energy trade-related infrastructure obstacles. Furthermore, the panel discussion will debate how green hydrogen drives local industrial development and creates pathways for national and international markets while addressing policy gaps. In doing so, the panel discussion will share experiences and will draw from best practices in the establishment of global standards and policy frameworks for the accelerated up-take of green hydrogen, thus enabling developing countries to optimize green hydrogen opportunities locally and internationally.

The panel discussion will bring together key global stakeholders from governments, international organizations, the private sector, industry and research institutions including Petra Schwager, Chief of the UNIDO Energy Technologies and Industrial Applications Division, and Juergen Zattler, German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Green hydrogen has become a key element in any decarbonization strategy as all major and emerging economies are planning to invest in green hydrogen and its derivatives as well as in international energy partnerships to secure long-term imports: this creates new opportunities for industrial development particularly in countries that are well-endowed with renewable power sources. However, countries also face challenging strategic decisions that could either facilitate or hinder the extent to which they benefit from green hydrogen.

List of Speakers:

• Petra Schwager, Chief of the UNIDO Energy Technologies and Industrial Applications Division, UNIDO (Moderator)

• Jürgen Zattler, Director General, German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (Keynote speaker)

• Amit Jain, Senior Energy Specialist, The World Bank

• Guy Lalanne, Senior Economist, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) 

• Nangula Uaandja, CEO & Chairperson, Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPDB)