Checklist
Complete the checklist now to get clear next steps and find out where your project stands.
The PtX Hub’s EESG framework outlines the essential sustainability considerations for green hydrogen and PtX. These themes have now been transformed into a checklist for assessing PtX projects. Guided by key statements in the form of questions, the self-assessment raises awareness of sustainability issues in PtX projects.
How to use it
Lets get startedMotivation
In the context of PtX and sustainability, it is challenging to move from concepts to principles or metrics. Although this checklist does not include thresholds or hard criteria, it is a first step towards a more practical application for developers or others assessing, examining or reviewing PtX projects. The checklist helps to identify the key topics relevant to developing truly sustainable PtX projects. A similar checklist has been used successfully within GIZ’s H2Uppp programme since 2022. In this context, the checklist helps to systematically gather information on sustainability aspects for PtX project proposals, which are then used to evaluate these proposals internally.
Scope
This awareness-raising tool supports a broad assessment of whether PtX projects, or even concepts, consider fundamental principles of sustainability. Although the tool is designed to cover all elements of a PtX value chain, the user can choose the scope of the assessment if they are only familiar with certain elements of the supply chain. The tool is most effective in the early stages of developing or assessing a PtX project or concept.
Target Audience
The tool can help developers, as well as anyone else analysing, examining or reviewing a PtX project, for example national authorities. The results can be discussed with colleagues and partners to initiate conversations about sustainability aspects of the respective PtX projects.
Assessment criteria (EESG framework)
The EESG Framework, developed by the International PtX Hub, forms the basis of the assessment criteria employed. The framework identifies key sustainability aspects and shapes the international debate on sustainability criteria for green hydrogen and its derivatives. The EESG Framework comprises four dimensions (environmental, economic, social and governance) and 16 clusters of sustainability opportunities and concerns.
Methodology
As the checklist is a self-assessment tool, there are no integrated control, audit or enforcement mechanisms. It helps users ask the right questions about sustainability (reflective questioning). It provides a basis for discussions and future analysis, either internally within the company or with other stakeholders. Essentially, the tool is about having or not yet having answers to the provided questions. The tool is therefore used effectively when individual next steps are derived from it. The questions are largely framed on the “do no harm” principle for simplicity’s sake. However, truly sustainable PtX projects go beyond that.
Outputs & Benefit
By completing the checklist, users learn about the basic sustainability considerations in the context of green hydrogen/PtX. While interactively engaging with the concepts and themes of the PtX Hub EESG framework, users can enter their own answers to the questions directly on the website. The results can be downloaded for further usage, reviewing one’s own answers, or using the answers as discussion points with other stakeholders. The scoring system included does not indicate how well a project performs, as there is no weighting metrics behind it, but it does contribute to visualising the outcomes.
Step #1
Become familiar with the project you are assessing. The more informed you are regarding the project’s interactions with aspects of sustainability, the better you can answer the questions in the checklist.
Step #2
Fill in the tool with your answers providing explanations how the sustainability aspects are being practically implemented. The more concrete examples, documents, contracts, etc. you have that demonstrate and underline your answer, the better. However, the checklist itself does not ask to provide any proofs.
Step #3
Download your individual assessment for future use. Once you have completed the checklist, you can save the assessment to be used as a rough guideline of the sustainability aspects to be considered and implemented in the project planning and development.
Step #4
Collaborate within your organisation or with other stakeholders to tackle unanswered or open issues that the checklist revealed. Team work makes the dream work! Coordinate with the stakeholders involved to make informed decisions, fulfilling the sustainability criteria more effectively and efficiently.
Step #5
Re-assess the checklist periodically (quarterly/annually) to measure improvements or still existing short-comings of commitments.
