Investment in the hydrogen economy is rising at record rates, but a significant imbalance between industry and society is preventing Australia from fully embracing the technology, the Swinburne University of Technology said.
According to the university’s Victorian Hydrogen Hub (VH2) research, communities are motivated by their personal futures and concerns about greenhouse gas emissions, contrary to what the industry expects about public sentiment.
The Swinburne University of Technology said the general public does not have a thorough understanding of the technical aspects of hydrogen, but this does not diminish public trust in individuals who deal with it.
In fact, the university added that there is typically little anxiety that instances like the Hindenburg disaster would occur again. Instead, people are focusing on climate change, the environment, and future generations in order to mitigate the consequences of slow renewable energy adoption.
“We’ve found that often, community members wanted to understand why hydrogen was a good idea and how it contributes towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Industry seemed to jump straight to technicalities of the technology, such as safety in their perceptions of what the community want to know about. Clearly, we need to better understand how industry and community can work productively together to ensure that the renewable energy sector continues to grow,” Victorian Hydrogen Hub Social Licence Adjunct Research Fellow Dr Kim Beasy stated.
Dr Beasy added, “If industry stakeholders can see themselves as community members too, this could go some way toward reducing the ‘us against them’ situation that often evolves during development projects. I hope that this research helps the way that stakeholders think about hydrogen differently and shows them that this matters.”
The study provides viable solutions by emphasising how communities are underutilised and should be considered valuable resources rather than things to be managed. Critical recommendations such as collaborative frameworks and cultivating an integrated and sympathetic relationship among stakeholders can enable innovative and collaborative hydrogen energy advances to create a more sustainable future.
