New research published in the journal Nature shows that atmospheric hydrogen has contributed about 0,02C to global warming since the industrial revolution, highlighting its indirect role in climate change. The research emphasises the need to limit leaks from future hydrogen fuel projects and to reduce methane emissions if hydrogen is to realise its potential as a clean-burning energy source.
The research paper, titled The global hydrogen budget , estimates that annual hydrogen emissions have increased by roughly four million tonnes since 1990, reaching about 27 million tonnes a year by 2020.
The best way to reduce warming from hydrogen is to avoid leaks and reduce emissions of methane, which breaks down into hydrogen in the atmosphere, said Stanford University scientist Rob Jackson .
