Requests for the resignation of the president of the World Bank (WB), David Malpass, met in recent days after he refused to talk about the impact of fossil fuels on global warming.
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Questioned in a round table dedicated to the financing of the fight against climate change, Malpass declined to give an answer.
“Do you accept the scientific consensus that the use of fossil fuels dangerously and rapidly overheats the planet?“Asked the moderator of the event, to which the head of the World Bank refused to answer.
The round table, organized by the newspaper The New York Times, It was developed within the framework of Climate Week in New York (from September 20 to 26), on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
After several questions to find out if he recognized the fact that fossil fuels had a real impact on global warming, finally and under pressure from the public, Malpass declared that he did not know.
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“I am not a scientist“, Malpass justified himself, preferring to highlight the “enormous effort” carried out by the World Bank to help the financing against climate change.
His comment provoked numerous reactions from specialized NGOs and they requested his resignation.
“The World Bank cannot be run by a climate change skeptic. President Joe Biden and the institution’s board of directors must license him immediately“, Luisa Galvao, from the Friends of the Earth association, declared in a statement.
“With Malpass at the helm, the World Bank cannot be trusted as an ally of sustainable development“, said, in turn, Bronwen Tucker, of Oil Change International.
Former US Vice President Al Gore accused Malpass of being a “climate change skeptic“, estimating that it had been unable to improve the financing of climate projects in developing countries.
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The president of the World Bank assured, this Friday, September 23, in an interview, that he had no intention of leaving his position, again rejecting the accusations against him.
“I won’t quit and I haven’t considered it“, replied Malpass, questioned by the media Political, and added that “none” of the member states of the international institution had asked for his departure.
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Considered a loyal supporter of former US President Donald Trump, who proposed his candidacy, Malpass he was elected as president of the World Bank in April 2019.
David Malpass, President of the World Bank.
White House reaction
The White House He reproached Malpass for his attitude towards questions about climate change.
“We do not agree with the comments made by President Malpass. We expect the World Bank to be a global leader in climate ambition and mobilizationWhite House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters.
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He added that the Treasury Department, which oversees the US government’s engagement with international financial institutions, has already made that expectation clear to the World Bank’s leadership.”and that it will continue to do so“
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