Advancing the Sustainable Energy Transition with Renewable Hydrogen: A Stakeholder Perspectives Approach to Regulatory Implications by Employing Sustainability Transition Theories
(2025) In IIIEE Master Thesis IMEM01 20251The International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics
- Abstract
- The prevalence of anthropogenic climate disasters is increasing, and this phenomenon is partly attributable to the substantial emissions of various industries. Renewable hydrogen (H2) possesses properties that are well suited to the decarbonization of hard-to-abate industries. This energy source has seen a surge in interest and necessity in recent years, driven by regulatory targets set by the European Union (EU). Despite these efforts, renewable H2 has encountered a state of stagnation, characterized by ambitious yet unattainable targets. This thesis aims to address this gap by studying the deployment of renewable H2 by investigating its external political pressures and key stakeholders (Research Question 1), stakeholders’ perceptions of... (More)
- The prevalence of anthropogenic climate disasters is increasing, and this phenomenon is partly attributable to the substantial emissions of various industries. Renewable hydrogen (H2) possesses properties that are well suited to the decarbonization of hard-to-abate industries. This energy source has seen a surge in interest and necessity in recent years, driven by regulatory targets set by the European Union (EU). Despite these efforts, renewable H2 has encountered a state of stagnation, characterized by ambitious yet unattainable targets. This thesis aims to address this gap by studying the deployment of renewable H2 by investigating its external political pressures and key stakeholders (Research Question 1), stakeholders’ perceptions of regulatory implications (Research Question 2) and key collective enabling success factors (Research Question 3). This qualitative study collected data through eight semi-structured interviews, supplemented by relevant industry and EU documentation. Synthesis matrices and thematic analysis with coding were employed to analyze the data, with the sustainable transition theories of Multi-Level Perspective (MLP) and Strategic Niche Management (SNM) serving at the guiding frameworks. The findings indicated that the development of renewable H2 is influenced by political dynamics, with key stakeholders exhibiting varying degrees of maturity and strategic intent. Regulatory pressures have been found to have both positive and negative effects on stakeholders, with cost, demand uncertainty and regulatory complexity being significant barriers. The motivations and challenges experienced by the involved stakeholders are not uniform. It is concluded that the stagnation of the renewable hydrogen sector is attributable to the presence of regulatory and political complexities, interrupting the efforts of relevant stakeholders. It is imperative that the producers, offtakers and regulatory bodies collaborate to ensure the successful implementation of deployment initiatives. The incorporation of stakeholder perceptions into sustainable transition studies can be further integrated in future studies to facilitate a more nuanced understanding of this complex issue. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9209576
- author
- Cardinal, Sophie Louise LU
- supervisor
-
- Håkan Rodhe LU
- Bernadett Kiss LU
- organization
- course
- IMEM01 20251
- year
- 2025
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- renewable hydrogen, regulatory barriers, stakeholder perspectives, sustainable transition theory
- publication/series
- IIIEE Master Thesis
- report number
- 2025:13
- ISSN
- 1401-9191
- language
- English
- id
- 9209576
- date added to LUP
- 2025-08-12 14:03:06
- date last changed
- 2025-08-12 14:03:06
@misc{9209576,
abstract = {{The prevalence of anthropogenic climate disasters is increasing, and this phenomenon is partly attributable to the substantial emissions of various industries. Renewable hydrogen (H2) possesses properties that are well suited to the decarbonization of hard-to-abate industries. This energy source has seen a surge in interest and necessity in recent years, driven by regulatory targets set by the European Union (EU). Despite these efforts, renewable H2 has encountered a state of stagnation, characterized by ambitious yet unattainable targets. This thesis aims to address this gap by studying the deployment of renewable H2 by investigating its external political pressures and key stakeholders (Research Question 1), stakeholders’ perceptions of regulatory implications (Research Question 2) and key collective enabling success factors (Research Question 3). This qualitative study collected data through eight semi-structured interviews, supplemented by relevant industry and EU documentation. Synthesis matrices and thematic analysis with coding were employed to analyze the data, with the sustainable transition theories of Multi-Level Perspective (MLP) and Strategic Niche Management (SNM) serving at the guiding frameworks. The findings indicated that the development of renewable H2 is influenced by political dynamics, with key stakeholders exhibiting varying degrees of maturity and strategic intent. Regulatory pressures have been found to have both positive and negative effects on stakeholders, with cost, demand uncertainty and regulatory complexity being significant barriers. The motivations and challenges experienced by the involved stakeholders are not uniform. It is concluded that the stagnation of the renewable hydrogen sector is attributable to the presence of regulatory and political complexities, interrupting the efforts of relevant stakeholders. It is imperative that the producers, offtakers and regulatory bodies collaborate to ensure the successful implementation of deployment initiatives. The incorporation of stakeholder perceptions into sustainable transition studies can be further integrated in future studies to facilitate a more nuanced understanding of this complex issue.}},
author = {{Cardinal, Sophie Louise}},
issn = {{1401-9191}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
series = {{IIIEE Master Thesis}},
title = {{Advancing the Sustainable Energy Transition with Renewable Hydrogen: A Stakeholder Perspectives Approach to Regulatory Implications by Employing Sustainability Transition Theories}},
year = {{2025}},
}