The Path to Sustainable Agility: Learning, Living the Principles, and Leading by Example

Ines Garcia is a seasoned agile coach and passionate sustainability advocate. With over 15 years of agile experience and after an executive programme in circular economy with Cambridge University, she bridges business and environmental goals for companies worldwide. An awarded Salesforce MVP Hall of Fame, holding more than 25 certifications in Salesforce technology, Ines is also deeply involved in the Salesforce community.

Our paths seem to be perpetually intertwined across the agile and sustainability landscapes. Ines has interviewed me already twice: in 2022 for the Scrum Master Mastermind Community where I valiantly navigated her delightful accent, and in 2024 for the Peer Series feature of the Agile Sustainability Manifesto . I often share her story as an inspiring example of agility and sustainability in action. Ines was among the first to congratulate me when I held my own book in hand, fully understanding that joy from her own authorship. After meeting at several conferences, it feels like the perfect moment to turn the tables—and finally have the chance to interview her.

Currently, Ines work at the intersection of agility and sustainability shines through two standout initiatives: the Coalition of the Willing and the Agile Sustainability Manifesto.?

The Coalition of the Willing: From Urgency to Agency

The Coalition of the Willing supports professionals in translating sustainability concepts into actionable steps, to? "move from urgency into agency." Together with her co-workers Colleen K. , Maryse Meinen ?? and Katarina Podboj she has been running this four-week online program already for more than 30 participants in multiple cohorts. The program emphasizes not only theoretical understanding but also practical application as Agile coach, Scrum Master, Developer, Product Owner… in the areas of sustainable development goals , circular economy, and complexity science.?

The program has attracted a diverse group of participants, from agile practitioners and XR members to environmental officers. Whether equipped with an agile background or not, they all understood the agile principle: start small and learn fast.

Thanks to their “Pay It Forward” scheme a number of underserved students especially from the Global South could join, who couldn’t have afforded such a program otherwise. This is how it works: As an attendee, you are given the option to support the Pay It Forward special pot. When the price is reached from multiple donations, then a member without the means will be awarded access to attend a cohort programme.This model enriches each cohort, bringing a wide range of perspectives and backgrounds that enhance the learning experience.

Participants engage with weekly sessions that cover intense content. “The magic happens between the sessions,” Ines notes. In these interim periods, participants apply their newfound insights in real-world settings and return with feedback on their experiments. This structure mimics agile practices with iterations, where ideas are tested, evaluated, and refined. By the final presentation, participants have learned from one another and translated theoretical knowledge into tangible actions. “Learning is key to keeping yourself employable”, Ines explains.?

Examples of Initiatives by Participants:

Ines mentioned a list of impressive activities the participants have started during the program. Only to name a few:

1. Circular economy retrospectives that have been applied by some of the students.
2. Making a list of items such as paper, water, material volume/type etc. to avoid waste.
3. Implementing a tele/commuting policy to reduce carbon emissions (car share, bike incentives...)
4. Career path workshop to help young women in Africa align their goals with career opportunities.

These initiatives demonstrate the wide-ranging impact of the Coalition of the Willing. Ines describes the moment when participants' “bulbs illuminate,” sparking ideas they then bring to colleagues, igniting discussions and initiatives that spread throughout their organizations. For Ines, it’s this ripple effect that is most rewarding. Her most important learning: “Make the space and remove yourself out of the picture, and wonderful things happen. It's incredible how people enrich each other's ideas.”

A Closer Look at Key Topics: Circular Economy and Complexity Science

Two central themes in the program are the circular economy and complexity science. As a certified Circular Economy professional (from Cambridge University executive program), Ines believes that the principles of circularity are crucial for sustainable development, not only for physical, but also for software products, as all software runs on hardware. “Think about a cloud server that consumes fresh water to cool down. We take this water away from other beings.” She continues, "We live in a finite world," urging practitioners to consider resources holistically. Ines challenges the agile community to apply the well-known tool of value stream mapping beyond time efficiency to address material and energy waste (firstly published in the handbook edition of Sustainable Happy Profit ).

Complexity science examines systems with many interconnected parts, where outcomes are unpredictable, and small changes can have significant impacts. In such systems—like ecosystems, economies, or organizations—predicting specific results is difficult. Ines points to the limitations of reductionism, where focusing on individual elements in isolation misses the broader system's connections and correlations. "The biosphere is complex by default," she notes, emphasizing that understanding the “rules of the game” is essential for making sustainable decisions. Thinking systemically means recognizing how small changes can produce cascading effects within a larger network.

The Agile Sustainability Manifesto

Ines is also one of the three creators of the Agile Sustainability Manifesto , which evolved from frustration with the slow pace of change within the agile community concerning sustainability. This frustration, she says, became a “bundle of energy,” ultimately leading to a productive movement. The manifesto encourages agilists to leverage their access to key areas of organizations and to use agile tools to drive sustainable decisions daily. Ines elaborates, “We make so many decisions every day—each is an opportunity.”

The manifesto’s peer-learning sessions allow signatories to share their sustainability journeys, offering actionable insights and advice. Ines explains, “We don’t have time to make all the mistakes again.” Through these stories, the manifesto fosters a sense of shared purpose within the agile communities. If you want to join the movement, you can sign the manifesto – like more than 200 people already did.

Core Principles Driving Ines’ Work

Ines’ commitment to sustainable impact extends well beyond her professional engagements. With over 30 years of experience in varied industries including the nonprofit sector, she has dedicated herself to creating meaningful change. Ines embodies the belief that purpose-driven work can be financially viable, challenging the myth that sustainability and profitability are mutually exclusive. Her principles guide her decision-making, from choosing clients aligned with her vision to minimizing her carbon footprint by traveling selectively. Ines also dedicates time to pro bono work and community projects, such as improving biodiversity in her local village (among her other qualifications, she is also a Biomimicry Practitioner). For her, life is about more than just work, and she integrates sustainability into her daily actions, whether through climate coaching, circular economy consulting, or technical architecture within Salesforce systems. With the mixture of paid and pro bono work, “I try to make my system resilient.”

A Vision for the Future: Agility as a Path to Sustainability

Ines is convinced, "As agilists, we have a vital role to play as change enablers." Agile’s focus on adaptability, experimentation, and continuous learning aligns well with sustainability's demands, where uncertainty and complex challenges are the norms. “That gives me hope. And nowadays I take every single bit of hope that I can.”

Additional Resources:

Ines’ books :?

• Sustainable Happy Profit: Products and Organisations that Thrive
• Foodforce for Good: The 101 plant-based deliciousness of the world (All proceedings go to Action Against Hunger)
• Becoming more agile whilst delivering Salesforce
• Better Estimates: Supercharge your Forecasting

Short video explaining Coalition of the Willing: Coalition of the Willing - Ines Garcia auf Vimeo