Establish the climate footprint of natural-hydrogen extraction

Establish the climate footprint of extracting, purifying, and converting naturally occurring underground hydrogen, including the effects of associated gases, leakage, purification, drilling, and potential impacts on ecosystems and groundwater resources.

Background

The paper cautions that the underground origin of natural hydrogen does not by itself establish that the resource is sustainable or low-carbon. Its overall environmental performance depends on the emissions and ecological effects associated with extraction and processing, including leakage and drilling. The authors therefore leave the climate footprint of natural-hydrogen use unresolved.

References

Its climate footprint also remains to be established: a natural resource is not automatically sustainable simply because it lies underground.

— Climate, Science, and the FCC: Think Clearly, Choose Wisely, Act Swiftly  (2609.30180 - Janot et al., 24 Sep 2026) in Section “Hydrogen Mon Amour”