Green Hydrogen and Energy transition at the RCS Academy Business School
Luca Vercellotti, for De Nora, at the Post-Graduate Master's Course “Sustainability & ESG Management” at RCS Academy Business School 2026
The energy transition is a relevant topic in global economic and energy news. This is, in fact, also a very complex issue.
It concerns various human activities, involving daily habits and production dynamics, generating an impact on planet Earth. The phenomenon of climate change is worrying, and tackling it requires efforts of various kinds (economic, technological, social).
There are various players involved in this process of epochal change, at different stages of the value chain.
These issues are also crucial in educational programs: the future of the planet depends on them. Like De Nora, we had the opportunity to talk about green hydrogen and its role in global decarbonization during the lecture on “Energy Transition and Green Gas” on February 17, 2026, as part of the Postgraduate Master's Degree in “Sustainability & ESG Management” at RCS Academy Business School.
The topic was addressed by Luca Vercellotti, Business Development Engineer at De Nora.
The speaker introduced the audience of students to the world that De Nora experiences on a daily basis, with a particular focus on the Energy Transition and green hydrogen businesses. The ultimate goal of this very important phenomenon, which is energy transition, is to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels by embracing the renewable economy (renewable energies), i.e., investing in the use of renewable energy for massive electrification and for the production of green hydrogen; using it, therefore, as fuel and as energy storage.
We were able to analyze what green hydrogen is, the technologies used for its production, its areas of application, and observe the economic geographies. Starting from trends and forecasts, together with the students in the classroom, we were able to look to the near future, with particular attention to the industrial world and its evolution towards a more conscious use of green gases, accompanied by electrification.
Unfortunately, there is still resistance to change.
These are barriers that are not easy to break down:
Cost of renewable energy: it is decreasing, but there is still a perceptible gap in the prices of energy produced from fossil sources and that produced from renewable sources;
Discontinuous generation: exploiting renewable energy sources alone does not guarantee continuity of supply and does not allow for predictability;
Bureaucracy: there are bureaucratic limits that make the expansion of the low CO2 impact energy portfolio complex, long and expensive;
Financial risks: investments in renewables and nuclear power are currently considered to be high financial risks;
Geopolitics: politics influence everyday life. They can actively influence change;
Cultural gap: such important and controversial issues are not universally perceived in the same way. There are obstacles and strong cultural resistance to change, to the energy transition and to environmental issues, as well as a still limited knowledge of new technologies.
The students were able to interact with Luca by asking stimulating and interesting questions.
The issue of energy transition affects everyone and has an impact on our consumption habits. Discussing changes, prospects, hopes, and concrete commitments towards radical change sparked curiosity and important reflections.
The challenge of decarbonization must be overcome, and it can certainly be done, but we must always analyze and monitor the various global scenarios: energy, technology, and economics. There are steps to be taken, but we have the support of the most innovative technologies: one example is De Nora's technology, electrodes for Alkaline Water Electrolysis.
This is a challenge that affects everyone, and we can all play a leading role.