Work

Socio-political determinants of public acceptance of green hydrogen

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Potential climate change impacts are already being severely experienced around the world, and responding to these impacts is a major global challenge. This study aims to identify the determinants of social acceptance of green hydrogen in South Korea. This study employs variable selection methods such as a ridge, lasso, and elastic net regression to identify the most important factors that influence the acceptance of green hydrogen. Three categories of variables are selected: demographics, climate change perceptions, and government policy. The study found that perceptions of climate change are one of the key determinants of public acceptance of green hydrogen. Specifically, it found that people who believe climate change is a serious problem and that governments are taking effective action to address it are more likely to accept green hydrogen. Conversely, people who prioritise economic growth over addressing climate change are less likely to accept green hydrogen. By highlighting the importance of social variables in shaping public attitudes towards green hydrogen technology, this study contributes to facilitating the challenges facing green hydrogen adoption. The findings suggest that policymakers should focus on distributing educational content about low-carbon energy sources including green hydrogen and improving public perception of the urgent need to address climate change.

Source: Energy Nexus

DOI: 10.1016/j.nexus.2025.100403

Authors: Eunjung Cho, Juyong Lee

Institution: Changwon National University

Language: English

Topic: Social Acceptance of Renewable Energy

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Climate action, Affordable and clean energy

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,200