Mission innovation missions.
Date: 2022-04-01
Institutions: Directorate-General for Research and Innovation
Subjects: Paris Agreement on Climate Change, clean technology, innovation, investment, research and development

MISSION INNOVATION MISSIONS 

Global action for the  
clean energy transition 

H
2

Clean Hydrogen Mission

Mission Innovation is a global initiative of 22 countries 
and the European Commission (on behalf of the European 
Union),  launched  at  COP21  in  2015,  and  bringing 
together  governments,  public  authorities,  corporations, 
investors  and  academia.  Mission  Innovation  catalyses 
action  and  investment  in  research,  development  and 
demonstration  to  make  clean  energy  affordable, 
attractive and accessible to all. It accelerates progress 
towards the Paris Agreement goals and pathways to net 
zero emissions. Mission Innovation members represent 
over 90% of global investment in clean energy research 
and innovation. Since its launch, Mission Innovation has 
increased  investments  in  clean  energy  with  EUR  16 
billion globally and will contribute to 21 gigatons CO2 
emissions reduction per year by 2030, if all of the nearly 
1 500  innovations  supported  by  Mission  Innovation 
members are fully deployed.

Clean  Hydrogen  has  the  potential  to  decarbonise 
hard  to  abate  sectors,  such  as  industry  and  heat, 
responsible  for  two  thirds  of  global  emissions,  and 
to  help  unlock  the  full  potential  of  renewable  energy.  
However,  clean  hydrogen  is  still  up  to  three  times 
more  expensive  than  hydrogen  produced  directly  
from fossil fuels.
The Clean Hydrogen Mission will increase research and 
development  in  hydrogen  technologies  and  industrial 
processes,  and  deliver  at  least  100  hydrogen  valleys 
covering  production,  storage  and  end-use  worldwide 
by  2030.  This  will  allow  the  EU  to  catalyse  cost  
reductions for clean hydrogen and unleash a global clean 
hydrogen economy.

Urban Transitions Mission

Seven Missions  
for clean energy solutions 

The  second  phase  of  Mission  Innovation,  launched 
in  June  2021,  embodies  a  decade  of  action  on  clean 
energy  transition.  To  achieve  its  objectives,  Mission 
Innovation  focusses  on  seven  “Missions”.  These  new 
public-private innovation alliances will catalyse global 
action  towards  ambitious  and  inspirational  innovation 
goals  to  reduce  the  cost  and  scale  of  clean  energy 
solutions.  The  European  Commission’s  involvement  in 
Mission  Innovation  is  coordinated  by  its  Directorate 
General for Research and Innovation. The Commission 
participates in all seven Missions and plays a significant 
role by co-leading the Clean Hydrogen and the Urban 
Transitions Missions.

Cities take up only 4% of the EU’s land area, but are 
home to 75% of EU citizens. Cities consume over 65% 
of the world’s energy and account for more than 70% 
of  global  CO2  emissions.  They  play  a  pivotal  role  in 
achieving  the  European  Green  Deal’s  goal  for  climate 
neutrality by 2050. Since climate mitigation is heavily 
dependent on urban action, we need to support cities 
in  accelerating  their  green  and  digital  transformation. 
The Horizon Europe Mission on Cities aims to have at 
least  100  climate-neutral  European  cities  by  2030, 
thereby  contributing  to  the  Urban  Transitions  Mission, 
which  will  deliver  at  least  50  large-scale,  integrated 
demonstration  projects  in  urban  environments  world-
wide,  providing  a  pathway  for  all  cities  to  adopt  net-
zero  carbon  solutions  as  the  default  option  across  
the world.

April 2022

Research andInnovationMore information on the Mission Innovation Missions:

MISSION

MEMBERS

GOAL

Green-Powered Future

Clean Hydrogen

Zero-Emission Shipping

Carbon Dioxide Removal

Urban Transitions

Integrated Biorefineries

Co-leads: Italy, UK, China
Core: Australia, India, Saudi Arabia, IRENA, World 
Bank, etc.
Support: Austria, Brazil, Canada, European 
Commission, Germany, Japan, South Korea, 
Netherlands, IEA, etc.

Co-leads: European Commission, Australia, 
Chile, UK, US
Core: Austria, Canada, China, Finland, Germany, 
India, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Morocco, 
Norway, Saudi Arabia
Support: CEM, IPHE, UNFCCC, World Bank, WEF
Co-leads: Denmark, US, Norway,  Global 
Maritime Forum, Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center 
for Zero Carbon Shipping
Core: Morocco, UK, India, Singapore
Support: France, Ghana, South Korea
Co-leads: Canada, US, Saudi Arabia
Core: Japan, Norway
Support: Australia, European Commission, India

Co-leads: European Commission, Global 
Covenant of Mayors (GCoM), Joint Programming 
Initiative (JPI) Urban Europe
Core: Chile, Sweden, India, Austria
Support: IEA, IRENA, WEF, UNFCCC, etc.

Co-leads: India, Netherlands
Core: Brazil, Canada, European Commission
Support: IEA, IRENA, etc.

To demonstrate by 2030 power systems 
in  different  geographies  and  climates 
are  able  to  effectively  integrate  up  to 
100%  variable  renewable  energies  in 
their generation mix and maintain a cost-
efficient, secure and resilient system.

To  increase  the  cost-competitiveness  of 
clean  hydrogen  by  reducing  end-to-end 
costs to USD 2 per kilogram by 2030.

For  ships  capable  of  running  on  zero-
emission fuels to make up at least 5% of 
the global deep-sea fleet by 2030.

“100 in 10” – to enable CDR technologies 
to achieve a net reduction of 100 million 
metric  tons  of  CO2  per  year  globally  by 
2030.

By  2030,  to  deliver  at  least  50  large-
scale,  integrated  demonstration  projects 
in urban environments around the world, 
providing a pathway for all cities to adopt 
net-zero  carbon  solutions  as  the  default 
option.

and 

develop 

solutions 

demonstrate 
To 
accelerate 
innovative 
to 
the  commercialisation  of 
integrated 
biorefineries  with  a  target  of  replacing 
an  additional  10%  of  the  fossil  carbon 
equivalent  by  sustainable  bio-carbon 
in  fuels,  chemicals  and  materials  from 
residues and wastes by 2030.

Net-Zero Industries

Co-leads: Australia, Austria
Core: China, European Commission,  
Germany, UK
Support: CEM, IEA, IRENA, etc.

To  support  by  2030  the  implementation 
across  the  world  of  at  least  two  large-
scale  demonstration  projects  for  each 
innovation  field  and  sector;  to  fast-
track  the  development  to  TRL  8  of  new 
and  radical  breakthrough  low  emissions 
technologies; to reduce by more than 15% 
the capital expenditure of low emissions 
innovative technologies.

MORE INFORMATION
http://mission-innovation.net/

@MICleanEnergyRD  
#MissionInnovation

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