Full Title: Sustainable Materials and Manufacturing for Renewable Energy Technology Development to 2030
Author(s): The National Academies of Sciences
Publisher(s): The National Academies Press
Publication Date: September 1, 2017
Full Text: Download Resource
Description (excerpt):
The world’s population is expected to reach 9.4-10.2 billion by 2050 based on recent growth trends, an increase of ~25 percent above current values. This increase is already challenging production and consumption patterns worldwide as industrialized and developing countries pursue economic growth under increasingly global and connected stresses, such as climate change, environmental degradation, poverty, limited strategic metal availability, and volatile oil prices. Transitions toward a more sustainable future are possible with clear, effective, and targeted goals that move investments and political will towards science, knowledge, social capacity, and technological capabilities for sustainable development. Manufacturing processes and metals industries, including renewable energy technologies, play key roles in these transitions.