How do policies drive China's hydrogen energy industrialization? A comparative analysis of policy across central and regional governments (2016–2024)

Hydrogen energy, pivotal in achieving China's “Dual Carbon” target, has garnered substantial policy attention in recent years. Despite the positive development of the hydrogen energy industry driven by policies, the dynamic implementation process of hydrogen energy policies in the interaction between central and local policies is not yet clear. This research addresses the critical gap in understanding how multilevel governance shapes energy transition implementation by analyzing the interplay between national strategies and regional adaptation. In this study, we construct a three-dimensional policy analysis framework (policy instruments-policy objectives-industry chain segments) from the perspective of intergovernmental relations to comprehensively sort out and comparatively analyze the policies of China's central and regional governments from 2016 to 2024. Through systematic examination of 125 national and 449 regional policies, focusing on Yangtze River Delta, Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, and Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area as representative regions, our findings reveal the following key points: (1) China's high degree of centralization effectively guarantees the execution of top-down prioritized strategies for hydrogen energy industrialization. (2) Regions at the forefront of hydrogen energy development have adjusted and formulated distinctive hydrogen energy policy layouts based on their own unique resource endowments. (3) A pattern of competition and cooperation prevails among and within regions, balancing efficiency and synergy in the development of hydrogen energy. These findings demonstrate how China's governance model creates a unique approach that enables rapid policy deployment while accommodating regional diversity and innovation.