Transmission and distribution networks for renewable and low-carbon gases

✓ Climate mitigation

1. The activity consists in one of the following:construction or operation of new transmission and distribution networks dedicated to hydrogen or other low-carbon gases;conversion/repurposing of existing natural gas networks to 100% hydrogen;retrofit of gas transmission and distribution networks that enables the integration of hydrogen and other low-carbon gases in the network, including any gas transmission or distribution network activity that enables the increase of the blend of hydrogen or other low carbon gasses in the gas system;2. The activity includes leak detection and repair of existing gas pipelines and other network elements to reduce methane leakage.

✓ Climate adaptation

1. The economic activity has implemented physical and non-physical solutions (‘adaptation solutions’) that substantially reduce the most important physical climate risks that are material to that activity.2. The physical climate risks that are material to the activity have been identified from those listed in Appendix A of the applicable Delegated Act by performing a robust climate risk and vulnerability assessment with the following steps:screening of the activity to identify which physical climate risks from the list in Appendix A of the applicable Delegated Act may affect the performance of the economic activity during its expected lifetime;where the activity is assessed to be at risk from one or more of the physical climate risks listed in Appendix A of the applicable Delegated Act, a climate risk and vulnerability assessment to assess the materiality of the physical climate risks on the economic activity;an assessment of adaptation solutions that can reduce the identified physical climate risk.The climate risk and vulnerability assessment is proportionate to the scale of the activity and its expected lifespan, such that: for activities with an expected lifespan of less than 10 years, the assessment is performed, at least by using climate projections at the smallest appropriate scale;for all other activities, the assessment is performed using the highest available resolution, state-of-the-art climate projections across the existing range of future scenarios(309) consistent with the expected lifetime of the activity, including, at least, 10 to 30 year climate projections scenarios for major investments. 3. The climate projections and assessment of impacts are based on best practice and available guidance and take into account the state-of-the-art science for vulnerability and risk analysis and related methodologies in line with the most recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reports(310), scientific peer-reviewed publications and open source(311) or paying models.4. The adaptation solutions implemented:do not adversely affect the adaptation efforts or the level of resilience to physical climate risks of other people, of nature, of cultural heritage, of assets and of other economic activities;favour nature-based solutions(312) or rely on blue or green infrastructure(313) to the extent possible;are consistent with local, sectoral, regional or national adaptation plans and strategies;are monitored and measured against pre-defined indicators and remedial action is considered where those indicators are not met; where the solution implemented is physical and consists in an activity for which technical screening criteria have been specified in this Annex, the solution complies with the do no significant harm technical screening criteria for that activity.