The caretaker government has decided to sign a commitment to ending investments in fossil fuel projects abroad after all, news website Nu.nl reported on Monday.

Nu.nl said its sources have indicated that parliament will be briefed on the u-turn later in the day.

Last week, it emerged that the Netherlands had decided not to sign the pledge at the COP26 environmental summit in Glasgow. The United States, Canada and 18 other countries on Thursday committed themselves to stop public financing for oil, gas and coal projects abroad by the end of next year.

According to the finance ministry at the time, the caretaker cabinet considered the issue ‘controversial’ and therefore a matter for the next government to decide on.

Environmental groups described the Dutch decision as ‘bizarre’ and described the call to action issued by prime minister Mark Rutte on the first day of the conference as ‘empty words’.

The failure to sign up was also a theme at Saturday’s march calling for action on climate change in Amsterdam, which attracted a record 40,000 demonstrators.