A few years ago, I was asked to analyze the enterprise resource planning system of a major German supermarket chain. The system had evolved over decades — written in Gupta, a development environment that’s barely used today. One single file contained more than 300,000 lines of source code. No modular structure. No documentation. No clear ownership.
No one really knew what the system was doing, why it worked the way it did — or what would break if even a minor change was made.
What followed wasn’t optimization — it was a complete rewrite. A multi-year project that demanded enormous resources: technically, economically, and humanly.
For me, this was a turning point. Because it showed me that sustainability in IT doesn’t start with energy measurements — it starts with awareness and responsibility.
Green Agile Starts With Values
In the Green Agile Guide, we often talk about sustainable practices: impact transparency, a green product backlog, ecological architecture decisions. But all of these methods are ineffective if they aren’t built on a foundation of values.
That’s why we’ve placed two guiding principles at the core of the guide:
Awareness
- Understanding what software really does — technically, ecologically, socially
- Having the courage to name blind spots in teams and processes
- Seeing systems in context: Who uses them? What do they really need? What costs arise in 2, 5, or 10 years?
Awareness means not just optimizing locally — but thinking globally.
Responsibility
- Making decisions even when they’re uncomfortable or more expensive short-term
- Naming technical debt — instead of ignoring it
- Taking long-term maintainability seriously
- Not delegating sustainability — but owning it as part of your role
Responsibility means taking action — even when no one is watching.
Why It’s More Than Just Technology
Many companies today invest in sustainability initiatives — from green coding to CO₂ compensation. That’s important. But without internalized values, it often remains symbolic.
Sustainability needs a culture in which people say:
“I understand what I’m doing — and I stand by the impact of my work.”
That’s where Green Agile comes in. It’s not about new roles or checklists. It’s about bringing a new mindset into existing processes.
What Can You Do?
Here are some questions you can ask yourself — or your team:
- Where are we missing transparency — technically or organizationally?
- Who is truly responsible — not just formally, but in reality?
- What decisions would we make differently if we thought more long-term?
What’s Next
Over the next few weeks, I’ll share more elements of the Green Agile Guide in a short blog series — from practical techniques to role models and meaningful metrics. If you’re interested in applying the guide in your organization or contributing your thoughts, I’d love to hear from you.
Together, we can prove: Sustainable software doesn’t happen by accident. It’s built by people with awareness and responsibility.
