Understanding Available Standards for Green Hydrogen Globally & In India

Green hydrogen, produced via electrolysis using renewable energy, is pivotal for decarbonizing industries such as steel, chemicals, and transportation. However, its global adoption hinges on standardized definitions, emissions thresholds, and certification processes to ensure environmental integrity, facilitate trade, and attract investments. This revised note provides a comprehensive understanding of available international and regional standards as of early 2026, incorporating recent updates on India's evolving standards landscape. Key frameworks emphasize lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with thresholds varying by jurisdiction. In India, significant progress has been made through bodies like the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and others, with 164 recommended subjects leading to 128 adopted or published standards. Harmonization efforts are underway, but discrepancies in methodologies pose challenges. Recommendations include advocating for aligned international benchmarks to support a scalable green hydrogen market.

Importance of Standards in Green Hydrogen

Standards define "green" or "low-carbon" hydrogen by setting criteria for production methods, emissions limits, and certification. They mitigate greenwashing, enable cross-border trade, and provide investor confidence. Without them, markets risk fragmentation, as seen in differing regional approaches. Globally, standards focus on:

• Emissions Intensity: Measured in kg CO₂e per kg of H₂, often on a well-to-gate (WTG) or cradle-to-gate basis, excluding end-use.

• Lifecycle Assessment: Including upstream renewables, electrolysis, storage, and transport.

• Certification: Third-party verification to track and trade green attributes.

As of 2026, production remains nascent, with less than 1% of hydrogen being low-emissions, underscoring the need for robust standards.

International Standards and Initiatives

Several global bodies are developing harmonized standards to bridge regional gaps. These provide benchmarks for emissions calculation and certification.

1. ISO/TS 19870:2023 – Methodology for GHG Emissions Assessment

   • Developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), this technical specification outlines a harmonized approach to calculate lifecycle GHG emissions for hydrogen production, conditioning, and delivery.

   • Scope: Cradle-to-gate, covering raw materials to delivery point. It includes electrolysis, reforming with carbon capture, and other pathways.

   • Key Features: Emphasizes transparency in data sources, boundaries, and assumptions. However, it does not define "clean" thresholds, focusing instead on methodology.

   • Criticisms and Improvements Needed: Relies on national averages for methane leakage (underestimating impacts), lacks grid-induced emissions accounting for electrolysis, and omits separate hydrogen leakage reporting (which has indirect warming effects). Recommendations include requiring granular methane data, verifying carbon capture rates, demonstrating additionality for renewables, and improving stakeholder access to documents.

   • Status: Widely referenced; UNIDO and ISO collaborate on guides and webinars for implementation in developing countries.

   • Global Implications: Serves as a foundation for national regulations, but divisions exist between industry (favoring flexibility) and environmental groups (seeking stricter safeguards).

2. Green Hydrogen Standard 2.0 (Green Hydrogen Organisation)

   • Launched in 2023 and updated for COP28, this voluntary standard sets rigorous criteria for zero-emissions hydrogen by 2030.

   • Requirements: Eligible renewable electricity only; emissions thresholds aligned with net-zero goals (e.g., near-zero WTG emissions); full lifecycle analysis; measures for hydrogen leakage; biomass sustainability rules.

   • Scope: Production to gate, including derivatives like ammonia and methanol.

   • Status: Global reference amid evolving regulations; adopted by leaders in shipping, steel, and aviation.

   • Implications: Promotes interoperability and scalability, especially for derivatives in hard-to-abate sectors.

3. Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI) Hydrogen Criteria

   • Part of the CBI Standard, these criteria certify bonds for low-carbon hydrogen projects to attract green finance.

   • Emissions Thresholds: Intensity limits decreasing over time to align with 1.5°C pathways (e.g., <1 kg CO₂e/kg H₂ by 2030 for some pathways).

   • Eligible Activities: Production, storage, transport, conversion, and decarbonization measures; excludes end-uses covered elsewhere.

   • Certification Process: Third-party verification for transparency and compliance.

   • Status: Expanded in 2023; promotes competitive markets by replacing high-carbon methods like steam methane reforming.

4. UNIDO Global Programme for Hydrogen in Industry

   • Focuses on standards for emerging economies, including cartography of value-chain standards and GHG methodologies.

   • Initiatives: Guidelines for sustainable projects (>200 MW scale); capacity building for adoption of ISO/TS 19870; collaborations with IRENA, Hydrogen Council, and others.

   • Implications: Ensures equitable trade and net-zero transitions for developing countries.

5. Other Global Efforts

   • IRENA: Advocates for aligned standards on green hydrogen derivatives (e.g., ammonia, methanol) to drive markets; highlights interoperability needs.

   • TÜV Rheinland and Others: Provide certification emphasizing decarbonization; e.g., global trends at forums like HKPC.

   • BNQ and CSA Group: New standard (2025) for measuring hydrogen's environmental impact, harmonizing reporting for producers and consumers.

Regional and National Frameworks

Standards vary by region, reflecting local priorities and energy mixes. Common scopes are WTG, with thresholds for "low-carbon" or "green" hydrogen.

• European Union (EU): Under the Renewable Energy Directive (RED II/III), green hydrogen must have <3.38 kg CO₂e/kg H₂ (WTG, including upstream). CertifHy scheme for guarantees of origin; focus on additionality and temporal/geographic correlation for renewables.

• United Kingdom: Low Carbon Hydrogen Standard sets <2.4 kg CO₂e/kg H₂; emphasizes certification for subsidies and trade.

• United States: Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) offers tax credits for clean hydrogen (<4 kg CO₂e/kg H₂, tiered down to 0.45 kg); GREET model for lifecycle assessment.

• Brazil: Threshold of <7 kg CO₂e/kg H₂, broader to encourage production.

• China: Focus on purity, safety, and national missions; emerging standards for production and transport.

• India: Aligned with the National Green Hydrogen Mission (NGHM), India has established a Green Hydrogen Standard defining emissions at ≤2 kg CO₂e/kg H₂ (well-to-gate basis) for electrolysis using renewables or biomass. Key organizations include the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO), Oil Industry Safety Directorate (OISD), Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB), and Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH). As of early 2026, updates show progress in standard development across the value chain, including generation, handling, safety, and transportation. A total of 164 subjects have been recommended, with the following status:

Organization	Number of Subjects Recommended	Adopted/Published	In Review/Under Discussion	New Standards to be Developed	Not Considered
BIS	75	65	7	0	3
PESO	61	47	0	3	11
OISD	1	1	0	0	0
PNGRB	20	8	1	1	10
MoRTH	7	7	0	0	0
Total	164	128	8	4	24

Notable standards include BIS IS 18538 (hydrogen storage), IS 16061 (electrolyzers), IS 16509 (fuel cells); OISD-241 (2024) for oil industry safety; PESO Rules (2016, updated); and PNGRB guidelines for hydrogen blending in natural gas pipelines. These efforts emphasize ISO adoption for exports and interoperability with global norms.

• Others: Australia (Guarantee of Origin scheme), Japan (focus on imports), and Canada (similar to US).

The IEA notes over 20 existing/planned systems, with scopes varying from WTG to well-to-wake.

Challenges and Opportunities

• Variations: Differing thresholds (e.g., EU vs. Brazil) and methodologies (e.g., grid accounting) complicate trade.

• Gaps: Limited coverage for derivatives; hydrogen leakage often overlooked.

• Opportunities: 2026 as a "year of reckoning" for harmonization, with ISO updates and UNIDO guidelines accelerating adoption, including in India where PNGRB's roadmap supports pipeline integration.

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