Head of World Bank under pressure after White House condemns his ‘climate denial’ comments

theguardian.com:

David Malpass, president of the World Bank, faces an uncertain future this week, after the White House joined a chorus of influential figures in condemning his apparent climate denialism.

Malpass remains in post for now but under severe pressure, despite issuing an apology and trying to explain his refusal last week to publicly acknowledge the human role in the climate crisis.

The Biden administration stepped into the row on Friday evening, when the press secretary for the US president told journalists: “We disagree with the comments made by president Malpass. We expect the World Bank to be a global leader of climate ambition and mobilisation, as well as significantly more finance for developing countries… We condemn the words of the president.”

Such strong words from the White House come as a major blow to Malpass, who was appointed to the role in 2019 by Donald Trump, under a longstanding convention by which the World Bank chief is chosen by the US president. Biden’s spokesperson left open the possibility that Malpass could be removed, if other countries agree.

Mark Malloch-Brown, president of the Open Society Foundations, former administrator of the UN Development Programme and deputy secretary-general of the UN, told the Observer: “We are relieved to see World Bank president David Malpass apologise for his statements. But a real apology would be much greater action by the World Bank to tackle climate change. The Bank is being far too conservative in its approach to financing, and far too unambitious in its leadership in addressing this existential crisis.”

The World Bank holds its annual meetings in three weeks, where Malpass can expect a further barrage of criticism, if he is still in post.

Talk had circulated for years