According to one environmental tax expert, it showed that the ‘environment will always take second place to fiscal policies’.

‘The chancellor could have used this opportunity to incentivise environmental behaviour,’ said KPMG partner Frank Sangster.

‘It would have been good to see some money stimulate environmentally friendly behaviour such as reducing VAT further on environmentally friendly products, such as energy efficient cars, or taxes that would influence changes in behaviour,’ he added.

Vehicle Excise Duty was to be changed next year to penalise the highest carbon emitters in a tax band shake-up. However, the tax increases have now been substantially reduced.

‘Essentially, the focus has been on fiscal – not environmental – sustainability issues. Although this is understandable, it’s a case of looking at short-term important issues, not long-term important issues,’ Sangster added Greenpeace campaigners scaled the Bank of England headquarters hours before the pre-Budget report.