‘It’s essential that Bristol does more to help deliver advances in hydrogen technology’

There are varying dates set with differing degrees of enthusiasm by which climate change targets will be met. There is also the issue of urban air pollution to take into account.

It is essential that we work together on long-term solutions that will decarbonise our economy in a lasting way. Sometimes, when I see some of the announcements, I get the impression that a date has been plucked out of the air with little consideration to what will be necessary to comply and even less to how to get the public to cooperate rather than digging their heels in. We need to argue less over dates and spend more time setting a firm strategy on how to remove fossil fuels from all parts of our economy.

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Having had the experience with radically changing our waste and recycling system in Bristol around 15 years ago, I know what it takes to bring the public with you, to create change and ensure that is built on for the future.

Around 20 per cent of the public were already keen and engaged, no matter the barriers they faced. They recycled despite the poor systems in place. Around 10 per cent are strongly resistant, people who do not want or accept change and were unlikely to adopt any change. Then there is the middle the 70 per cent of people who will respond to reasonable argument and persuasion but need the systems changes to be able to adapt. They need to be worked with to enable change.

So how is this paralleled with climate change measures?

Let’s look at the private car as a thorny example. Petrol and diesel will be phased out and at the moment there is an assumption by government that everyone will switch to electric. This ignores the actual difficulties that many people will face.  Great if you have off-street parking and can charge your car overnight.  A lot of people in Bristol do not live in properties where this is practical. Travel ranges are not great and daytime recharging presents problems. I already have many e-mails from residents wanting to do the right thing but being prevented by practicalities.

Compare this to the possibilities with hydrogen-powered vehicles, which have a range similar to diesel and also have no harmful emissions. All that is needed are for a few and growing numbers of filling stations to have a hydrogen pump. Easy for the public.

The same applies to buses, trains and lorries. Some larger vehicles are just not a possibility with battery systems. The mass of these vehicles limits the ability of electric battery technology to provide solutions.

A further problem with the electric switch is that the vast number of large batteries using rare metals have a huge environmental and financial cost. Batteries are lasting longer but they do wear out. The hydrogen economy requires larger amounts of renewable energy, which in this part of the world is easily deliverable, and water. The electricity from wind, tidal etc is fed into an electrolysis plant which splits water into hydrogen and oxygen. Hydrogen is a very dense energy source and can be easily transported.

Hydrogen is being adopted in some countries and cities around the world. The technology has not had the investment it currently needs but in the long term offers a solution or part of the solution to decarbonising our transport systems. It is essential that Bristol and the West of England do more to help deliver advances in this technology and plan the infrastructure we will need.

Hydrogen could even replace gas in heating homes and businesses. Imagine the public outcry as we are told (and it is already required by government targets) that we have to scrap our heating and hot water systems that have been installed at large cost. Would it be easier to just upgrade the boilers (some modern boilers can run on a gas/hydrogen mix already)?

Most people accept that there is a need for radical change but I think all of us have a duty to think through how that change can be practically delivered and gain the maximum level of public agreement.

Gary Hopkins is a councillor for Knowle and leader of Bristol’s Lib Dem group of councillors

Read more: ‘Businesses are in the best position to take the lead and tackle climate change’