Citybus, a major bus operator in Hong Kong, announced that the first cross-harbor trip of Hong Kong's first hydrogen double-decker bus on Route 170 was successfully completed. The hydrogen double-decker bus traveled through the city's three toll tunnels, including Aberdeen Tunnel, Cross-Harbour Tunnel, and Lion Rock Tunnel. This marks the first time a hydrogen bus has traversed the Hong Kong Island and New Territories route. Richard Hall, the managing director of Citybus, stated that the company aims to phase out diesel buses in the next few years and plans to operate a full fleet of zero-emission buses by 2045. Citybus plans to purchase a large number of electric buses and introduce at least five hydrogen buses. Hall also mentioned that the fleet composition in the future will consist of 70 percent hydrogen buses and 30 percent electric buses. Passengers who rode the hydrogen bus expressed positive experiences, noting that it is quieter and emits less exhaust smoke compared to diesel buses. [2bf63597]
Commissioner Hahn, along with the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, UN Climate Champions, and DZ Bank, emphasized the need for 'transition finance' at COP28 to support the decarbonization of hard-to-abate sectors and small businesses. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) estimates that €1.5 to €3.5 trillion per year in climate investments are required from 2020 to 2050 to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement. While the EU has made progress in green finance, including issuing nearly €50 billion in NextGenerationEU Green bonds, more investments are needed to decarbonize challenging industries. This was highlighted at COP28 as a hindrance to broader decarbonization efforts. The event in Dubai focused on developing 'transition financing' mechanisms and fostering partnerships between governments, international organizations, and financial institutions. The Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ) and OECD are working on establishing guiding principles for this asset class. The importance of supporting Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in decarbonization efforts was also emphasized, as they make up a significant portion of global value chains. SMEs face challenges such as high initial capital investment needs, limited access to finance, and lack of awareness. The event stressed the need to enable all sectors to transition to lower carbon business models.
Eunji Park, an expert from the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), highlighted crucial steps for a successful transition to a hydrogen-based economy at COP28. Park emphasized the need for infrastructure development, proximity to renewable energy sources, and skills development. These factors are essential for the widespread adoption and utilization of hydrogen as an alternative energy source. The transition to a hydrogen economy has the potential to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to global decarbonization efforts. The article also mentions the launch of a new flight route by flynas, the International Conference on Air Services Negotiations in Riyadh, and the threat to space sustainability due to increased human activity. It also highlights funding rounds and investments in various startups in the Middle East.
The Hong Kong and China Gas Company's Green Flame Future Lab initiative has reached over 3,000 pupils in the first academic year. The program has engaged more than 20 primary schools and over 3,000 students so far. Each school will be able to nominate 'Green Flame Campus Ambassadors' under the program. Students visited the Towngas headquarters to learn about its daily operations as well as the Towngas plant in Tai Po, where an engineer introduced the production and supply of hydrogen in Hong Kong. [535f9d5c]
Hydrogen is emerging as a critical form of vehicle electrification in Detroit's transportation system. On August 13, 2024, the City of Detroit's Office of Mobility Innovation published a white paper on leveraging hydrogen for decarbonizing transportation. Detroit is uniquely positioned as a gateway to the U.S. economy and has a high density of engineering talent and transportation innovation. The Office of Mobility Innovation is committed to partnering with industry leaders to create a hub of hydrogen-related activities. Detroit has identified local use cases for hydrogen in long-haul trucking, warehousing and logistics, grid resilience, and other heavy-duty applications. The city offers support for permitting, assistance with site selection, and partnerships for developing hydrogen solutions. Detroit is a destination for companies developing clean transportation and mobility solutions. The article is from Hydrogen Central. [b61dc0ad]