David Malpass, the president of the World Bank, touched off a furor, including calls for his removal, when he refused to acknowledge that fossil fuels are warming the planet. On Tuesday Mr. Malpass refused to say during a public event at The New York Times whether the burning of oil, gas and coal was driving climate change. In an interview on CNN International on Thursday morning, Mr. Malpass said he accepted the overwhelming scientific conclusion that human activity is warming the planet. Many experts say the World Bank under Mr. Malpass is not doing enough to align its lending with international efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and is moving too slowly to help poor countries deal with climate impacts. The bank continues to fund oil and gas projects, despite a declaration by the International Energy Agency that countries must stop financing new fossil fuel development if the world has any hope of averting climate catastrophe. David Malpass catapulted onto the international stage three years ago when he was nominated by President Trump. The fate of Mr. Malpass has been a subject of debate within the Biden administration, with some officials wanting President Biden to seek his resignation or to try to orchestrate his removal, and others not wanting to start a new tradition that would mean World Bank leaders are replaced when the U.S. presidency changes hands.
By David Gelles and Alan Rappeport. New York Times. September 22, 2022.
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