Chris Rowthorn signs Green Growth Pledge to support sustainable fleet transitions in Wales

Just weeks into his new role as an Appointed Representative for Fleet Alliance, automotive finance veteran Chris Rowthorn has signed the Business Wales Green Growth Pledge, committing to a structured set of sustainability goals aligned with Wales’ broader transition to a low carbon economy.

Rowthorn, who left MotoNovo after a 22-year career to join Fleet Alliance in February 2025, sees the pledge as a way to ground his work with small and medium-sized enterprises in tangible climate action.

The Green Growth Pledge, a voluntary initiative run by Business Wales, encourages organisations to adopt specific environmental actions — such as switching to renewable energy or reducing emissions from business travel — while publicly reporting their progress.

For Rowthorn, who supports fleet customers across Wales, the south west, and beyond, the pledge offers both a framework for his sustainability efforts and a way to engage clients in making more environmentally conscious fleet choices. “Signing the Green Growth Pledge isn’t a badge – it’s a contract with Welsh businesses and communities,” Rowthorn said. “My goal is to turn Fleet Alliance’s carbon neutral expertise into practical wins for every client, from the first EV they lease to the last tonne of CO₂ they cut.”

His move comes at a time when Fleet Alliance itself has made significant progress on its own environmental goals. In 2024, the company was certified carbon neutral after cutting its energy usage by more than half and switching its internal vehicle fleet to fully electric. It now promotes a wider shift toward sustainable mobility through salary sacrifice schemes and tools that help businesses electrify their light commercial vehicle operations.

Rowthorn plans to build on that momentum with a specific focus on Welsh SMEs. His roadmap includes:

Promoting electric and low-emission vehicle options through Fleet Alliance’s funding solutions.
Benchmarking client fleet emissions and tracking improvement annually.
Supporting local supply chains, including EV charger installers and clean energy providers.
Sharing lessons and outcomes with other businesses through Business Wales and industry platforms.

His first-year target is to support at least ten client fleets in transitioning at least 25% of their vehicles to electric or hybrid models — a shift that could reduce carbon emissions by approximately 300 tonnes.