Is hydrogen a climate gas?

The short answer is: No, because it does not absorb infrared radiation, like carbon dioxide or methane, for example. But: Hydrogen acts like a climate gas because it contributes to interactions in the upper atmosphere that make it more difficult to radiate energy into space. The current state of knowledge about these phenomena is limited. However, if hydrogen is used widely in the future, as is widely expected, precautions must be taken: To prevent the volatile gas from escaping from tanks or pipelines. Hans-Jürgen Wernicke summarises the state of the discussion.

Scroll to Top