Charting a Greener Course: Chris Rowthorn signs the Business Wales Green Growth Pledge

When seasoned automotive finance professional Chris Rowthorn left MotoNovo after more than two decades to become a Fleet Alliance Appointed Representative in February 2025, he made it clear that the next chapter of his career would be written in green ink.

Less than a month into the role, Chris has underlined that promise by signing the Business Wales Green Growth Pledge – a voluntary commitment that helps companies embed practical, measurable sustainability actions and join a community that is “helping Wales transition to a low carbon future” Business Wales.

Why the pledge matters

The Green Growth Pledge acts as both framework and springboard: participating firms select tailored actions – from cutting business travel emissions to switching to 100% renewable electricity – and report progress publicly. For Rowthorn, who will serve SME fleet customers across Wales and the south west, as well as the rest of the UK, the scheme offers instant structure for engaging clients in lower carbon mobility choices while holding himself accountable to national sustainability goals.

Perfect alignment with Fleet Alliance

Rowthorn’s timing could not be better. Fleet Alliance – one of the UK’s leading fleet management and salary sacrifice specialists that he now represents – achieved verified carbon neutral status in late 2024 after slashing its corporate energy use by 57% and migrating its own company car fleet entirely to electric vehicles.

The business has since set its sights even higher, positioning itself as “the SME leader in the transition to sustainable mobility  with initiatives ranging from salary sacrifice EV schemes to data driven light commercial vehicle electrification plans.

That corporate backdrop gives Rowthorn a powerful story to tell his Welsh customers: partnering with Fleet Alliance already means accessing products and expertise that make cutting emissions commercially attractive. By layering the Green Growth Pledge on top, he is demonstrating personal accountability and local relevance.

Sustainability roadmap

Drawing on his 22 years of finance experience, Rowthorn plans to:

• • Promote zero and low emission vehicles to SMEs through Fleet Alliance’s multi funding panel and salary sacrifice products.
  • Benchmark client fleets against pledge targets (for example, percentage of EVs, average CO2 per vehicle) and report with annual progress updates.
  • Champion Welsh supply chain partners – installers of workplace charge points, renewables suppliers and driver training providers – to keep the economic benefits local.
  • Share best practice at Business Wales networking events and on Fleet Alliance’s Sustainable Mobility Hub, creating an open knowledge loop between pledge members and the wider fleet community.

First milestones to watch

Within the next 12 months, Rowthorn aims to help at least ten client fleets convert 25 % of their cars or vans to battery electric or plugin hybrid powertrains, saving an estimated 300 tonnes of carbon dioxide.

“Signing the Green Growth Pledge isn’t a badge – it’s a contract with Welsh businesses and communities. 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.”

A call to collaborate

Businesses interested in joining the Green Growth community or exploring lower carbon fleet options can connect with Chris Rowthorn via Fleet Alliance or the Business Wales sustainability team. Together, they aim to accelerate Wales’s journey to a cleaner, more competitive transport future.