At TRATON, sustainability is a shared purpose. Impact Lines reveals how TRATON’s people bring this purpose to life, turning sustainability goals into tangible impact across every brand, every system and every line of work.
As IT Sustainability Lead at Scania, Huifen Cong bridges the gap between technology and environmental responsibility. With a background in sustainable development and a curious mind for innovation, she helped establish Scania’s first CO₂ baseline for IT emissions – pioneering work that has since inspired similar efforts across the TRATON GROUP. Working closely with colleagues from other brands, Cong is part of a growing exchange on how digital operations can become a powerful lever for decarbonization across the Group.
You studied sustainable development before joining Scania. Was the company already on your radar back then?
When I was doing my master’s in Sweden, Scania was hard to miss – you see their trucks everywhere. A friend who worked there spoke very positively about the company, so it became a dream goal of mine, even though I never imagined I’d actually join so soon. During my studies, I found an internship opening focused on Green IT. It asked: “Are you interested in learning about emissions from IT and cloud services?” That really caught my attention. I had a background in sustainability but, until then, only a curiosity about IT. I thought, what happens if we combine these two worlds? At Scania, I calculated the brand’s first CO₂ baseline for IT. When I graduated, I joined full-time as IT Sustainability Lead. It all started from that question – how do we make IT part of Scania’s sustainability journey?
Why was Green IT such an exciting space for you to enter?
Scania is known for trucks and manufacturing, so IT can feel like a different universe. But I saw an opportunity to make a real impact. Our ambition to drive the shift toward a more sustainable transport system also depends on how responsibly we use technology. You can’t just focus on vehicle emissions and ignore the footprint of the systems behind them. So we started from scratch to understand our own digital impact.
Our ambition to drive the shift toward a more sustainable transport system also depends on how responsibly we use technology.
Huifen CongIT Sustainability Lead at Scania
You helped establish Scania’s IT emissions baseline. How did that come about?
Back in 2022, hardly anyone in the industry had done this before. We started with a simple question: “What is the footprint of IT?” At first, no one knew. People focused on trucks, which made sense – they’re our biggest source of emissions. But I thought: if no one has the answer, that’s exactly why we should find out.
I spent six months gathering data across departments, defining scope, and building a transparent methodology. It was hard work, but when the results came in, it was eye-opening.
Around 80% of our IT-related emissions came from hardware, such as PCs, factory equipment and data centers. Seeing that in black and white was a turning point for me. That’s also why I’m based in a department called Digital Workplace, which delivers IT hardware and services to Scania employees. We realized that’s where the biggest opportunities lie. I like to call it “catching the big fish” in our IT journey.
You’ve mentioned a philosophy that guides your work: “It’s better to ask forgiveness than permission.” How does that apply to sustainability?
That phrase actually comes from our CIO, Jan Andries Oldenkamp, and it really stuck with me. At Scania, I learned that innovation often requires courage to try things, make mistakes, and learn. That freedom has allowed me to experiment with new ideas in Green IT. My colleagues and managers trust me to explore, and that trust drives creativity.
You also built the Green IT Ambassadors Network. How does that work?
I realized I couldn’t do this alone – IT is such a broad field. So, two years ago, my manager and I launched the Green IT Ambassadors Network. It now includes more than 20 people from across departments and regions, from R&D to purchasing. Each ambassador leads small initiatives – from understanding AI emissions to upcycling data-center equipment. One colleague started a refurbishment program for used hardware, which now gives servers and components a second life. Scania is also taking part in the Digital Cleanup Day initiative, which aims to raise awareness about the environmental impact of digital technologies. I see my role as supporting and connecting these people. That’s where the real impact happens.
What excites you most about the future of Green IT?
I think the biggest opportunities come from balancing three factors equally: cost, user experience, and sustainability. It’s not about making sustainability expensive – it’s about making it efficient. For example, we introduced an optional accessories policy: when employees order a computer, they can choose whether to receive a keyboard or mouse. That small change reduced both costs and waste.
We also have a core value of “elimination of waste” at Scania and within the wider TRATON GROUP. Whether in production or IT, we always ask: “Do we really need this?” That mindset keeps us grounded and innovative at the same time.
You’ve been part of this cultural shift from the start. What’s changed most since you began?
When I joined, people were asking why we needed Green IT. Now, they ask how we can do more. The awareness is completely different. We’ve moved from ideas to action, reusing equipment and tracking it systematically. Small actions add up to something powerful.
