Poll reveals only one in 50 members of the British public agrees that the prime minister is delivering on his pledge

Just 2% of the British public believes that David Cameron has been successful in his pledge to lead the "greenest government ever", a new YouGov poll reveals.

Respondents were asked to rate the government's green credentials, including how well it has lived up to the promise that the prime minister made just three days after he took office.

In a visit to the Department of Energy and Climate Change, Cameron told Chris Huhne and civil servants that "there is a fourth minister in this department who cares passionately about this agenda and that is me, the prime minister, right. I mean that from the bottom of my heart." But cuts to renewable energy subsidies, anti-environment rhetoric by the chancellor, George Osborne, and a letter from 101 Tory MPs attacking onshore wind power have raised fears among environmentalists and business leaders about the coalition's commitment to the green agenda.

While only one in 50 people responding to the YouGov poll thought Cameron was delivering his pledge, the majority – 53.5% – felt the government was simply "average" on green issues, and one in 10 thought it was above average. Nearly one-tenth felt it was worse than most governments, with 7.1% saying it was one of the least green ever.

Greenpeace, which commissioned the poll published on Monday, called on the government to bolster its backing for clean technology such as wind power and maintain protections for the natural environment.

Ruth Davis, Greenpeace's chief policy adviser, said: "The British public are actually very discerning and can't be duped by catchphrases or husky-hugging. They can tell the difference between PR puff and actual deeds and in this poll they have given their damning verdict. However, it's not too late for David Cameron to turn this around and leave an environmental legacy he can be proud of. He can start by reigning in his chancellor who seems hell-bent on trashing the environment. Instead, what the economy needs now is investment in green industries that will deliver jobs, growth and protect the planet."

A government spokesman said: "We are firmly committed to being the greenest government ever and want to be judged on actions. Our major overhaul of the electricity market will bring forward hundreds billions of pounds of investment in low-carbon power, and we're doing more than any other country to provide long-term certainty with carbon budgets out to 2027."

Ed Davey, the energy and climate change secretary, has previously said: "My priorities are very simple: green jobs, green growth and getting the best deal for energy bill-payers. My department is already implementing bold and ambitious reforms - like electricity market reform and the green leal - to unlock private investment, drive innovation and build a resilient, green, competitive economy."

In the government's credit column are the creation of a green investment bank; its imminent green deal to insulate homes; a floor price for carbon; agreement on a carbon budget into the 2020s; emissions cuts to its own estate, and the first natural environment white paper in 20 years. But critics point to the U-turn over plans to sell-off England's forests, last year's budget which froze the green tax air passenger duty and cut fuel duty, planning reforms that have caused a furore with wildlife campaigners, and the collapse of talks for a £1bn state-funded carbon capture and storage project with Scottish Power.

Caroline Flint, shadow energy and climate change secretary, said: "David Cameron's promise to be 'the greenest Government ever' has been well and truly exposed as nothing more than a cosmetic rebranding exercise, designed to trick people into thinking the Tories had changed. Since the last election, David Cameron has failed to make a single speech on climate change and the UK has fallen from third in the world for investment in green growth to thirteenth. Time after time, this Government has chosen to pander to the Tea Party tendency in the Tory Party – the rump of Tories who either don't believe in climate change or don't think it's worth bothering about – than get behind British jobs and businesses in the new low-carbon economy. From the chaotic cuts to solar power, to the delays to the Green Investment Bank and the Government's opposition to controls on oil extracted from tar sands, all that remains is a trail of broken green promises."

Osborne has also raised hackles by telling the Conservative party conference that the UK would cut carbon emissions "no slower but also no faster than our fellow countries in Europe" and slammed "costly" green policies in his autumn statement.

• The YouGov poll surveyed 1,738 British adults on 13-14th March 2012