A group of charities has expressed concern that the government’s low carbon policies are being held back by the Treasury. A new report from the Green Alliance, including Christian Aid, Greenpeace, RSPB and WWF, claims its findings “raise questions about whether the Treasury is fully signed up” to green policies.

The report uses a traffic light system, giving six out of twenty-nine policies a red rating for “failing”. Three of these are down to Treasury decisions, claims the report: “The ruling out of green financial products to provide individuals with opportunities to invest in green infrastructure; the failure to reform aviation taxation by moving to a per-plane duty; and the absence of any sign of a significant green tax shift, raise questions about whether the Treasury is fully signed up to the Coalition programme.”

A spokesperson for the Treasury denied the claims: “The Treasury has made important progress on a range of green initiatives. We are fulfilling our commitment to introduce a carbon price floor – a world first – as the basis of an innovative and economically ambitious green policy.” They pointed to the £3billion commitment in this year’s Budget to the Green Investment Bank, the fund for new green businesses.