The president of the World Bank is stepping down from his post, a move many link to his controversial statements about climate change last fall. David Malpass announced his resignation this week, saying he would leave at the end of June, nearly a year before the completion of his five-year term.
Last September, at a climate change event hosted by the New York Times, Malpass was repeatedly asked if he accepted the scientific consensus that fossil fuels were a leading cause of climate change. His answer — “I’m not a scientist.” — prompted immediate calls for his resignation from environmental activists, policy makers and world leaders.
While Malpass later apologized and claimed on TV “I’m not a denier,” the incident further cemented doubts about the bank president’s commitment to address the climate crisis.
The World Bank and its sister institution, the International Monetary Fund, were established in the wake of the devastation of World War II to provide funding for reconstruction and to reduce poverty. The bank... Read more
