Opportunities and future challenges in hydrogen economy for sustainable development

The hydrogen economy (HE) is considered a new industry that would contribute to reducing energy consumption and emissions while stimulating economic growth and creating new jobs. However, those who promote HE would also face challenges, such as technical bottlenecks, competition with optional technologies, and interrelation with technology strategies. To identify the opportunities and challenges for HE, this chapter will first review economic and environmental initiatives for developing HE to identify the stages and paths of technology innovation. Second, a board review of the national strategies and related policies of major countries, including Japan, the United States, the EU, and China, is conducted to compare the differences between the world’s major markets. According to this information, crucial factors that influence HE are identified, which provides a great reference value for decision-makers to reflect on strategies to promote HE.