Namibia has given approval for the production of green hydrogen in ecologically sensitive national parks along the Atlantic Ocean coastline. The largest of the approved projects is located in the Tsau||Khaeb National Park. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has described the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution as the biggest threat to human rights globally. Giving undue preference to issues surrounding the energy needs in the context of climate change while ignoring issues surrounding potential biodiversity loss or pollution ignores the fact that a just transition to environmentally sustainable economies and societies for all should not be at the risk of compromising already fragile ecosystems that contribute to climate regulation, nutrient cycling and carbon sequestration. Since limited scientific data is available on whether hydrogen is an effective decarbonisation strategy, this part of the article explores, from a human rights perspective, the issues surrounding climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution, and whether industrial activities should be permitted in protected areas. Part 2 examines the non-compliance with, and shortcomings in, the existing legal framework, as well as the lack of regulatory oversight and the legal validity of the Green Hydrogen Council. Part 3 examines the seemingly neo-colonial approach that has emerged in the wake of the hydrogen hype in Namibia.

‍