Hydrogen will play a key role in the transition to clean energy, but not all hydrogen is produced sustainably. Governments are therefore introducing hydrogen labels: green, renewable, low-carbon or clean, to distinguish hydrogen with low greenhouse gas emissions (GHG emissions) during its life cycle from conventional fossil hydrogen. These official labels set standards for climate-friendly production, strengthen investor and public confidence, and align economic incentives with environmental goals. However, each jurisdiction defines the labels and their respective compliance criteria differently, resulting in a patchwork of regulations that hinders investment and cross-border trade.

This whitepaper places the work of the HydroNet WP10 project in the global context of H2 labels. We compare label standards in ten major economies and regions, focusing on carbon intensity (CI) thresholds and the policy instruments these labels use, such as subsidies, tax credits, procurement and trading. We explain why the thresholds differ and outline two complementary paths for the future: greater international harmonisation and CI-based incentive models that reward decarbonisation rather than setting binary thresholds.