No Energy Transition but an Interesting Business Opportunity: Media Discourse on Renewable Hydrogen in the Czech Republic

In recent years, the European Union (EU) and its member states have paid close attention to climate change and energy transition. The EU has repeatedly declared its intention to achieve carbon neutrality in the coming decades. The plans to achieve decarbonization and energy transition include the use of renewable hydrogen. The use of renewable hydrogen appears in EU policy and strategy documents and plans. Legislative acts directly committing Member States to using renewable hydrogen and building hydrogen infrastructure have also been adopted. Interest in renewable hydrogen is also evident in the Czech Republic at the political, strategic, and legislative levels. The country has adopted two national hydrogen strategies (2021 and 2024), and has repeatedly expressed interest in hydrogen. In this context, renewable hydrogen may seem to be experiencing a hype in the Czech Republic. However, the reality is different. There is minimal interest in hydrogen tenders, and companies are postponing or delaying the implementation of hydrogen projects, including the conversion of the gas network. Public opinion polls show that the public knows virtually nothing about renewable hydrogen and hydrogen technologies. The Czech case thus presents an interesting situation: the topic of 'renewable hydrogen production and use' has been present in policymaking for almost a decade. However, the public has shown little interest in hydrogen, and companies have been rather lukewarm towards it. Consequently, there is a gap between the emphasis placed on this topic by policymakers and its presence in public debate. As many studies show, one of the links between policymaking and public debate is the media particularly in case of new technologies . The aim of this text is to examine how Czech media cover thy renewable hydrogen and what picture of renewable hydrogen the Czech media has created. In other words, how does the media frame renewable hydrogen, and what is the media discourse on hydrogen in the Czech Republic? Media are mediating force between powerful interests, policy makers and the public and media coverage, especially for novel technologies on which the public does not yet have fixed attitudes, can influence public perception as well as individuals attitudes . The Czech media's stance on renewable hydrogen and new hydrogen technologies could help to explain the Czech public's low awareness of hydrogen and hydrogen technologies, the weak or non-existent public debate on renewable hydrogen and companies' low interest in hydrogen projects.