Brussels, 18 June 2019 – The Hydrogen Council today announced that six new member companies have joined the group. These include BP as a steering member and AVL, ITOCHU Corporation, The Liebherr Group, Power Assets Holdings Limited, and SinoHytec as supporting members. The continued growth of the Council – a global CEO-led initiative for hydrogen technologies – is in direct response to the acknowledgement that hydrogen can play an important role in decarbonising the global economy.
This group of new members brings the Council to 60 total companies, collectively representing more than €2.6 trillion in revenue and 4.2 million jobs around the world. The coalition has more than quadrupled since its launch in 2017 with 13 founding members. Covering all key geographies and sectors, the Council uses its global reach to provide guidance on scaling hydrogen use around the world.
“The global hydrogen industry is stronger than ever. Businesses are betting on hydrogen, investing in multi-billion-dollar projects and developing new products. Hydrogen Council members are leading this effort and working to increase cooperation between industry, government, and investors,” said Euisun Chung, Executive Vice Chairman of Hyundai Motor Group and Co-Chair of the Hydrogen Council. “I welcome our newest members and look forward to working together to build the hydrogen economy.”
Bob Dudley, Group Chief Executive of BP, which is joining the Council as a new steering member, commented: “Hydrogen will play an important role in a low carbon future, both as an energy product and as an industrial feedstock. BP is pleased to be joining the Hydrogen Council and will work with its members to promote and develop large-scale, low-carbon hydrogen-based opportunities.”
In this year alone, hydrogen has been on the agenda of numerous global forums and the Hydrogen Council has been at the forefront helping to facilitate strategic conversations between key stakeholders. Most recently, the Council joined the Clean Energy Ministerial’s Hydrogen Initiative, a new effort led by several CEM member countries that will drive international collaboration on policies, programs and projects to accelerate the commercial deployment of hydrogen. Earlier, the Council co-hosted a CEO-minister roundtable at the World Economic Forum to exchange views at the highest level.
This weekend, Hydrogen Council members participated in several events in conjunction with the G20 Summit, including presenting before G20 Energy Ministers, the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and representatives from the international investor communities. The Council also participated in the unveiling of the first-ever hydrogen-focused report by the International Energy Agency.
“At a time when hydrogen is a major focus at the G20, I am energised by the growth of the Council and the work we are doing internationally,” said Benoît Potier, Chairman and CEO of Air Liquide and Co-Chair of the Hydrogen Council. “The Council is committed to creating strong, global action toward hydrogen deployment. With a steady stream of new initiatives, partnerships and commitments, the momentum is undeniable.”