Pinched Antenna Systems for Sustainable Net-Zero 6G Near-Field Wireless Communications

Current sixth-generation (6G) antenna schemes risk falling short of net-zero emission goals, as they often require large numbers of active radio-frequency (RF) elements and substantial material resources in order to deliver both high-capacity connectivity and precise near-field sensing. There remains a critical gap: architectures that can meet next-generation connectivity demands while sharply reducing energy consumption, carbon emissions, and environmental impact. This article addresses this gap by placing pinched antenna systems (PASS) at the center of a human-centric, energy- and carbon-aware 6G vision. PASS employs movable radiators on low-loss dielectric guides, creating scalable and reconfigurable apertures controlled via digital precoding, per-guide analog weighting, and dynamic pinching. This tri-hybrid approach enables energy-proportional operation, sharp near-field focusing, and significant reductions in active RF hardware and spillover, directly supporting IMT-2030 and sustainable development goals (SDG)-aligned goals. System-level studies show that right-sizing the PASS aperture yields efficiency gains that plateau, guiding optimal resource allocation and minimizing material use. By clustering pinching elements near active users, PASS further reduces interference and unnecessary power expenditure. The architecture enables integrated sensing, wireless power transfer, and physical-layer security, while its modular design supports circularity, repair, and carbon-aware control. Open challenges include scalable calibration, full-duplex operation, and integration with other 6G antenna paradigms. Collectively, PASS emerges as a practical and sustainable foundation for future wireless networks.