Launched by the United States at COP26, the H2 Twin Cities is a global programme under the Clean Energy Ministerial’ s Hydrogen Initiative to connect cities and communities around the world to deploy clean hydrogen solutions, given hydrogen is a versatile fuel for decarbonising electricity generation and industrial applications, such as in buildings and manufacturing. This year’s winners are:

A Mentor-Mentee partnership where the US city of Lancaster, CA, and Namie Town in Japan, will serve as mentors to Hawai’i County sharing lessons learned and collectively accelerating progress in clean hydrogen
A Sibling partnership where Aberdeen and Kobe will collaborate to promote clean hydrogen growth opportunities locally

In the first programme, mentors have pledged to share best practices and strategies with the mentee to collectively accelerate progress in hydrogen and fuel cells. Their activities will support goals of carbon neutrality by 2035 and address mutual priorities to develop a skilled workforce and to strengthen diversity, equity and inclusion, and environmental justice practices as they transition to a clean energy future.

The resources and opportunities resulting from the collaboration will focus on the impact clean hydrogen solutions can have on citizens’ lives, regional infrastructure, and the environment.

In the second, Aberdeen and Kobe will partner to promote clean hydrogen growth opportunities to maximise local air quality, climate change, and supply chain benefits, and transition from traditional natural gas and nuclear power to renewable energy.

Both cities have committed to exchange knowledge and resources to better understand how clean hydrogen can benefit their transportation, ports, heat production, and electricity sectors equitably. They will also facilitate joint research between universities and students to support mutual workforce development priorities.

Yoshida Kazuhiro, Mayor, Namie Town, said, “Namie city is aiming to maximise the usage of renewable energy and hydrogen energy … and advance towards a zero carbon city. Through the Mentor Mentee programme, and the alliance between three cities, we would like to continue working towards the construction of a hydrogen society.”