Sustainable Materials and Manufacturing for Renewable Energy Technology Development to 2030: Proceedings of a Workshop—in Brief 2017

Sustainable Materials and Manufacturing for Renewable Energy Technology Development to 2030 is aworkshop synthesis published by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) under the Policy and Global Affairs Division's Science and Technology for Sustainability (STS) Program (Project PIN: PGA-STS-18-P-34). This report summarizes expert deliberations on the critical materials, supply chain vulnerabilities, and scalable manufacturing processes required to expand global renewable energy infrastructure through 2030. The publication examines strategic bottlenecks and life-cycle impacts associated with key transition technologies, including critical raw material extraction (e.g., lithium, cobalt, rare earth elements), photovoltaic panel production, energy storage systems, advanced wind turbine blade recycling, and low-carbon industrial manufacturing. It highlights cross-sectoral strategies to enhance material efficiency, foster circular economy principles, promote sustainable substitution, and minimize environmental footprints across renewable energy supply chains. Serving as a valuable open educational resource, this NASEM report provides essential insights, technological roadmaps, and policy guidance for undergraduate and postgraduate students, faculty, materials scientists, environmental engineers, and energy policy analysts studying sustainable manufacturing, clean technology supply chains, circular economy frameworks, and industrial ecology.