In the past year, sustainability commitments have gone mainstream. Hundreds of corporations have publicly taken a stand on net-zero emissions, some of the world’s largest asset managers are calling on companies to align with the net-zero economy, and the upcoming COP26 summit will undoubtedly spark even greater sustainability commitments from the public sector that will have ramifications for businesses.

While this surge of commitments is clearly a boon for the global community, there is a problem. As companies race to fulfill their sustainability commitments, they may quickly find that much-needed resources, infrastructures, and capabilities are not readily available. In the coming years, we anticipate periods during which demand for the inputs to sustainable solutions will surpass supply—creating troubling scarcities of resources.

To ensure access to critical resources, leaders must move quickly. Companies that can identify novel ways to address their scarcity issues will mitigate risk, build resilience, and capture economic premiums. Scarcity advantage will help determine the winners in the race to sustainability.