Facing widespread calls for his ouster, World Bank President David Malpass defended his record on climate and walked back comments he made this week when he refused to definitively state that climate change is caused by humans burning fossil fuels.
Malpass was asked during a CNN interview on Thursday whether he is a “climate denier” — a label lobbed at him by former U.S. Vice President Al Gore and many others on the sidelines of this week’s United Nations General Assembly. Malpass responded, “No, I am not,” and blamed “political motivations” for the criticism swirling around him.
His answer was considerably clearer than the reply that caused the media storm. During a Tuesday event, Malpass was asked repeatedly whether fossil fuel burning is warming the planet. He deferred before saying: “I am not a scientist.”
He was lambasted by numerous environmental organizations, including Friends of the Earth U.S., E3G, Power Shift Africa, and others.
“It’s clear that greenhouse gas emissions are coming from man-made sources, including fossil fuels, methane, agricultural uses, industrial uses,” he told CNN. “So we’re working hard to change that. I’m not a denier, and I don’t know why that message, it gets tangled up and I’m not always good at conveying the exact message.”
“We put more into climate change commitments than the entire G7 governments combined,” he continued.
The bank’s public relations campaign extended internally, as Malpass sent a memo to staff Thursday further clarifying his beliefs.
“On climate, it’s clear that greenhouse gas emissions from human activities are causing climate change, and that the sharp increase in the use of coal, diesel, and heavy fuel oil in both advanced economies and developing countries is creating another wave of the climate crisis,” he wrote in the memo, obtained by Devex. “Anything seen in a different light is incorrect and regrettable.”
Climate groups call for World Bank chief to be fired
Climate groups are calling for World Bank President David Malpass to be fired after his comments on man-made climate change during the 77th United Nations General Assembly.
As the world’s biggest provider of multilateral finance, the World Bank holds major clout in the fight against climate change and the global shift to renewable energy. Its climate finance hit a record $31.7 billion for fiscal year 2022, and earlier this year, the lender rolled out Country Climate and Development Reports, a tool that aligns countries’ development goals with climate considerations.
But that isn’t enough for many activists, who want the bank to stop fossil fuel projects altogether and boost its climate financing even more.
Among those criticizing Malpass’ leadership and calling for his ouster this week include former United Nations Climate Chief Christina Figueres, European Climate Foundation CEO Laurence Tubiana, as well as numerous philanthropic leaders and climate activists.
“It’s simple,” Figueres said on Twitter. “If you don’t understand the threat of #climatechange to developing countries you cannot lead the world’s top international development institution.”
United States Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has called on the World Bank and other multilateral development banks to mobilize significantly more capital in the climate fight and support global emissions reduction goals — particularly through private-sector operations. The U.S. Treasury reiterated that call Thursday when asked about Malpass.
“We expect the World Bank Group to be a global leader of climate ambition and the mobilization of significantly more climate finance for developing countries,” a spokesperson said in an emailed statement to Devex. “We have—and will continue—to make that expectation clear to World Bank leadership. The World Bank must be a full partner in delivering on this global agenda.”
The U.S. is the World Bank’s largest shareholder and traditionally selects who will lead the anti-poverty lender. Malpass was nominated to his post by former U.S. President Donald Trump in 2019. His five-year term is set to end in April 2024.
President Joe Biden, in New York this week for UNGA, did not respond when asked by reporters whether he had confidence in Malpass, and the White House has not publicly commented.
About the authors
Tania Karas@TaniaKaras
Tania Karas is a Senior Editor at Devex, where she edits coverage on global development and humanitarian aid in the Americas. Previously, she managed the digital team for The World, where she oversaw content production for the website, podcast, newsletter, and social media platforms. Tania also spent three years as a foreign correspondent in Greece, Turkey, and Lebanon, covering the Syrian refugee crisis and European politics. She started her career as a staff reporter for the New York Law Journal, covering immigration and access to justice.
Shabtai Gold
Shabtai Gold is a Senior Reporter based in Washington. He covers multilateral development banks, with a focus on the World Bank, along with trends in development finance. Prior to Devex, he worked for the German Press Agency, dpa, for more than a decade, with stints in Africa, Europe, and the Middle East, before relocating to Washington to cover politics and business.
