Germany sends heads up to Canada that hydrogen fuel is in, but natural gas isn’t

Just as the EU nation signs deals for H2, it is also working to reduce its import of natural gas

A German envoy has sent Canada a clear message that as it establishes hydrogen fuel export deals, the North American country shouldn’t get its hopes up for boosting its natural gas exports to Europe as well.

Germany has made it clear that its intention is to reduce, not grow natural gas imports

Jennifer Morgan, Germany’s state secretary and special envoy for international climate action, spoke to the media at the German embassy in Canada’s capital city of Ottawa.  There, Morgan said that Germany – as well as Europe as a whole – would not be bumping up its imports of natural gas from companies like Canada. Instead, it intends to reduce those imports over time. “All studies show that the market is going to shrink,” said Morgan. “Germany will be driving forward on renewables, and gas demand will decline.” Morgan is the first special envoy Germany has named for international climate policy.  She was born in the United States and previously held a position at the head of Greenpeace International.  Now, she is the representative for the largest economy in Europe, as well as the continent’s largest emitter.  She regularly works alongside Steven Guilbeault, the Environment and Climate Change Minister of Canada, her counterpart in the country.

Setting targets for decarbonization with hydrogen fuel

According to Morgan, Germany and Canada both have a binding emissions reduction law in common. That said, Germany’s target is for achieving net-zero by 2040, which is a full 5 years sooner than Canada’s goal. As a result, she pointed out that Germany needs to cut back on its natural gas use at a faster rate. “It is a part of the transition, but it is not the long term,” explained Morgan.  She added that by 2030, Germany is aiming to have reduced its imports of natural gas by 30 percent. By 2050, that number will have climbed to 96 percent. Europe as a whole is expected to have slashed its imports of natural gas by about 25 percent by 2030.

It’s all about projections

While Morgan is confident in her country’s efforts to use hydrogen fuel and other cleaner forms of energy to decarbonize, she also underscored that her projections are just that, projections.