Carbon accounting in the hydrogen economy: EU vs ISO – what international projects need to know now

In this white paper, we take a closer look at two key regulations for greenhouse gas accounting in hydrogen value chains: the EU-RFNBO regulation and the new ISO/TS 19870 standard. Particularly in the context of international projects such as HydroNet, there are some serious differences – with far-reaching consequences for verification, trade and trust.

The central topics:

• Fundamental differences in system boundaries and allocation methods
• Divergent assessments of electricity sources and emission factors
• Practical challenges in verifiability, transparency and auditability
• Specific recommendations for harmonizing EU and ISO approaches

Our conclusion: Only a standardized, transparent and digitalized CO₂ verification system can make global hydrogen trading truly scalable – while reducing bureaucracy, creating trust and promoting comparability.