Sustainable and Circular Microwave Systems: Importance and a Strategic Perspective [Speaker’s Corner]

Sustainability in electronics is an emerging challenge being tackled by research and standards communities alike. Environmental impact categories such as global warming potential (GWP), life cycle analysis (LCA) and critical minerals consumption, are directly linked to electronics manufacturing and use – especially in computing and wireless communication. Quantifying the environmental footprint of electronics, particularly microwave systems, remains complex since their design and development are typically driven by performance. This paper outlines key sustainability challenges associated with microwave technologies, presents approaches to address them, and emphasizes their significance to microwave and radio-frequency (RF) engineering in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) [1]. Given that a printed circuit board (PCB) forms the foundation integrating all aspects of electronic systems, we examine sustainability from the perspective of a (microwave) PCB and its constituent components.