Abstract
Hydrogen is increasingly a key pillar in the Scottish energy transition strategy. The mature offshore wind sector in Scotland will provide the basis for the early deployment of large-scale hydrogen production. The European Union holds an import target of 10 million tonnes of renewable hydrogen by 2030, with Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium as major importers. As Scotland seeks to build its hydrogen economy, Germany could become a key hydrogen trading partner while Australia can provide important lessons in the development of hydrogen licensing procedures.
This dialogue will bring together leading international energy experts, public and private sector operators interested in the future of hydrogen. You will learn how two countries, Australia and Germany as projected hydrogen exporter and importer economies are developing their respective hydrogen economies and regulation.
Speakers
Madeline Taylor is Director of Research Training and Senior Lecturer at Macquarie Law School, Deputy Director of the Centre for Energy and Natural Resources Innovation and Transformation (CENRIT), Stream Lead at the Transforming Energy Markets Research Centre and Honorary Associate at the Sydney Environment Institute. Madeline specialises in issues at the intersection of socio-legal aspects of energy and natural resources law, as well as property and commercial law. She currently leads a funded project examining the legal, economic, and technical potential of hydrogen development in Australia and has published on hydrogen regulatory structures, spatial planning, and community benefits including as co-author in the Association of International Energy Negotiators (AEIN) report examining hydrogen pathways for mature petroleum jurisdiction.
Madeline works with researchers in law, science, and the humanities and with regional communities and the renewable energy industry in her roles working with NGOs, including on the Management Committee of RE-Alliance on questions relating to the energy transition and community-based governance. She is a member of the Executive Consultation Group of the OECD’s Blue Dot Network and member of the IUCN World Commission on Environmental Law (WCEL) and The International Association for Impact Assessment.
Jana Eschweiler studied law at the University of Hamburg and the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia. After the first state examination, she worked as a research associate at the law firm Taylor Wessing. Jana Eschweiler completed her legal traineeship at the Hanseatic Higher Regional Court, including positions at the Federal Foreign Office in the department for Business and Human Rights and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). In addition, she worked as a lecturer in the field of civil law at the University of Hamburg during the summer semester of 2020.
In July 2022, she started working as a research associate for IKEM’s energy law department. Since October 2023, she is the head of IKEM’s energy law department.
Stuart holds a Master Degree in Business Administration and spent several years working as a lecturer in Project Management, Business Policy and Operations Management. Stuart joined the Scottish Government in 2005 from a background of air, rail and road freight transport logistics to manage major rail electrification projects and is now Head of Hydrogen Policy for the Scottish Government leading the development of policy in this exciting and ambitious area. During his time as head of hydrogen policy the Scottish Government has commissioned and published a range of analysis and research on hydrogen including: the Scottish Hydrogen Assessment Report, the report of the study into Deep Carbonisation Pathways for Scottish Industries (considering hydrogen and electrification) and the Scottish Offshore Wind to Green Hydrogen Opportunity Assessment.
Francesco Sindico is Professor of International Environmental Law at the University of Strathclyde, Founder and Director of C2LI and Co-Chair of the IUCN WCEL Climate Change Law Specialist Group. In this last capacity he has been leading with Dr Taylor the IUCN World Commission on Environmental Law Islands, Nature and Renewable Energy Law Project. Francesco was on secondment with the Scottish Government from September 2021 to April 2024 as Carbon Neutral Islands project lead, a programme for government commitment that supports six islands to become carbon neutral by 2040.
Kate is a co-Founder and Director and has been named as CEO of the Climate Change Legal Initiative (C2LI). As a licensed attorney in the USA, with over 15 years of practical experience across a variety of legal practice areas including criminal law, corporate responsibility, mediation, social justice issues, and climate change related law and policy. Kate holds a PhD from the University of Strathclyde where her research focused on climate change litigation with a particular emphasis on state due diligence obligations in ocean-related climate impacts. In addition to her work with C2LI, Kate collaborates with multiple research and policy institutions and academic journals. In addition to her PhD, Kate holds an LLM in Global Environmental Law and Governance, a Juris Doctor with a concentration in Environmental Law and a Bachelor of Music in Classical Voice Performance.
