Hyundai Motor Group (the Group) organized a high-level dialogue on hydrogen strategy at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit Korea 2025. The company’s Group Vice Chair and Hydrogen Council Co-Chair, Jaehoon Chang, joined Hydrogen Council CEO, Ivana Jemelkova, to discuss the current state of the hydrogen energy industry and its role in sustainable growth across the Asia-Pacific region.
With the theme ‘Bridge, Business and Beyond’, the APEC CEO Summit Korea 2025 brought global leaders together to talk about regional integration, digital change, and sustainability. In a session called ‘Hydrogen, Beyond hydrogen‑powered mobility – New Energy for Society’, Hyundai Motor Group’s Vice Chair Jaehoon Chang stressed that hydrogen is key to reaching carbon neutrality and energy strength — and he called for joint action to speed up its use.
During the session, Vice Chair Chang and Hydrogen Council CEO, Ivana Jemelkova, shared his knowledge on the Global Hydrogen Compass 2025, which gave an overview of a pivotal moment for the industry, shifting from ambition to delivery with USD 110 billion of committed capital across 510 projects past financial investment decision globally.
Executive Statement
According to Jaehoon Chang, Vice Chair of Hyundai Motor Group, Hydrogen accelerates carbon neutrality by addressing the intermittency of renewables and enhancing energy transition. Hydrogen also stands out as a strategic energy carrier, enabling localized generation and distribution systems—such as off-grid and microgrid ecosystems—that reduce reliance on centralized grids and strengthen communities' self-sufficiency.
According to Ivana Jemelkova, CEO of Hydrogen Council, Since 2020, global capital commitments to clean hydrogen have grown ten times―a remarkable trajectory. Their next big test is demand which requires clear, practical and stable policies and strong public-private collaboration. At the Hydrogen Council, the largest and only CEO-led global business initiative on clean hydrogen, they are proud to work closely with Hyundai Motor Group in their capacity of Council Co-chair to mobilize key players at this pivotal moment and keep moving hydrogen forward.