Advanced Materials
This sector is an emerging industry
How we define it
The Advanced Materials sector includes chemicals, polymers, composites, ceramics, glass, metals, and alloys designed to enable clean technologies and improve environmental sustainability across industry supply chains.
Why it matters
Cleantech deployment: Advanced materials are at the core of cleantech innovations and represent a high and growing share of the cost structure. As such, they are a powerful lever for the performance and cost competitiveness of environmentally sustainable solutions, including the active materials in lithium-ion batteries, 3D printing of lightweight aerospace components, perovskites for solar modules, alternative refrigerants, and novel materials that utilize captured carbon.
Resource scarcity: Advanced materials can replace or reduce demand for scarce resources such as rare earth elements in applications like magnets for electric motors. Therefore, advanced materials can reduce supply risks and dependency on unsustainable resources, which can stabilize the cost of cleantech and increase market adoption.
Operations: Advanced materials can also provide for lower-carbon and greener operations for traditional industries, such as capturing nitrous oxide emissions from the conventional production of acidic chemicals.
Metrics
Project Drawdown
This sector contributes to 5 Project Drawdown solutions and the reduction/sequestration of 62.8 - 83.53 gigatons of carbon equivalent (2020-2050).
Drawdown Solutions: Alternative Cement, Alternative Refrigerants, Bioplastics, Dynamic Glass, High-Performance Glass
Key GRI Environmental Standards
Sustainable Development Goals Target 9.4, Target 9.5
