Sustainability-informed materials design

TL;DR

This paper advocates for integrating sustainability considerations early in inorganic materials design using a decision-oriented framework to enable responsible, anticipatory development and reduce environmental and social impacts.

Contribution

It introduces an adaptable framework that embeds sustainability into early-stage materials development, emphasizing life cycle thinking and recent predictive advances.

Findings

Identifies disconnects between materials science and sustainability analysis.

Proposes a decision-oriented framework for early-stage sustainable materials design.

Highlights how predictive synthesis can operationalize sustainability integration.

Abstract

While material innovation can enable sustainable development, environmental and social impacts of emerging materials are often assessed only after design choices are "locked in." Here, we argue for a shift in perspective: life cycle thinking should enter at the earliest stages of materials development, where uncertainty is highest but design freedom is greatest. Rather than treating incomplete knowledge as a barrier, we reframe it as an inherent feature that can illuminate trajectories, tradeoffs, and consequences -- and enable intervention while change remains possible. Focusing on inorganic solid materials, we identify disconnects between materials science and sustainability analysis, propose an adaptable, decision-oriented framework to embed sustainability into material design across evolving technology stages, and highlight how recent advances such as predictive synthesis can help operationalize this integration. Guided by the framework's governing principles, we outline a cross-stakeholder agenda to shift from retrospective correction to anticipatory, responsible material design from the outset.