A Primer: Hydrogen Fuel for Public Transport

A Primer: Hydrogen Fuel for Public Transport

The news from the UN’s Emissions Gap Report 2022 that “the international community is falling far short of the Paris goals, with no credible pathway to 1.5°C in place” is bleak reading.1

Approximately one-fifth of carbon emissions arise from transport in general, of which around three-quarters comes from road transport, and half of that from passenger cars and buses.2

Hydrogen-powered vehicles (HPVs) such as single and double decker buses can make a significant dent in Green House Gas emissions.

The Plan 2021-2035 envisages a dedicated regulatory framework for hydrogen by 2025, coincidentally the same date as for the UK, and possibly for the EU. Demand for hydrogen will be the key factor determining the economics of hydrogen as scale rises. By end 2021, global demand stood at its historical peak.

Our report on hydrogen fuel for public transport provides a deep dive into each relevant component, and how they shape the future of hydrogen powered vehicles. Further discussed topics include:

  • Hydrogen production and costs;
  • Hydrogen distribution and storage;
  • How hydrogen fuel cells work in vehicles; as well as
  • The regulation surrounding hydrogen usage.

To learn more about the role and prospects of hydrogen fuel for public transport, download our latest report:


1UNEP (October 2022) Emissions Gap Report 2022 https://www.unep.org/resources/emissions-gap-report-2022
2Our World Data (October 2020) Cars, planes, trains: where do CO2 emissions from transport come from? https://ourworldindata.org/co2- emissions-from-transport

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