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IRENA has launched a project titled “Quality infrastructure for green hydrogen: technical standards and quality control for the production and trade of renewable hydrogen” in collaboration with the National Metrology Institute of Germany (PTB) and supported by Germany’s Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The project aims to establish quality infrastructure services for green hydrogen development, including a Tunisia case study and a database of standards/QI services.

Vexxel, an innovative startup, has developed biodegradable nanocapsules that reduce the need for harmful chemical fertilizers and can help save approximately 150 tons of CO2 annually for farms using 100 tons of synthetic fertilizer. The startup has received support from CATAL1.5°T, a USD 40 million initiative financed by the Green Climate Fund and implemented by GIZ, and is preparing to launch their first product in Mexico.

UNEP has released a new report revealing that their Methane Alert and Response System (MARS) has sent 1,200 notifications about methane leaks to governments and businesses over the past two years, but only 1% have been answered. The report highlights successful cases where MARS notifications led to direct action in Algeria and Nigeria, with one Nigerian case fixing a six-month methane leak equivalent to 400,000 cars’ annual emissions in under two weeks.

The UK has announced a new package of funding support at COP29 to help developing countries transition to clean energy and accelerate global decarbonization efforts. The package includes £45 million for World Bank’s ESMAP, £15 million for Innovate UK, £14 million for UNIDO, and £5 million for tackling methane emissions, as part of the UK’s £11.6 billion International Climate Finance commitment.

Hydrogen Europe has endorsed the COP29 Hydrogen Declaration, which aims to scale up hydrogen deployment globally through demand creation, standards, finance, and other measures. The initiative builds on COP28 commitments and has received support from the Hydrogen Council, with the hydrogen sector showing significant growth reaching $75 billion in committed capital and over 400 large-scale projects worldwide.

The Green Climate Fund (GCF) has announced its support for COP29 energy pledges including the Global Energy Storage and Grids Pledge, Green Energy Zones and Corridors Pledge, and Hydrogen Declaration. GCF has committed USD 4.7 billion for clean energy and energy efficiency with USD 18.25 billion in co-financing, and plans to support 30 countries for renewable energy access and 25 countries for clean energy transition during 2024-2027.