World Bank President David Malpass could be fired for climate stance

According to a Friday report from Axios, World Bank President David Malpass could be on the Biden administration's chopping block over climate change.

Some officials in the administration have considered attempting to replace Malpass over his climate stance, though the bank's board is not controlled by the White House, according to people familiar with the matter, according to Axios. When asked on Tuesday about whether burning fossil fuels contributes to global warming, the head of the World Bank faced calls to resign after he said, I'm not a scientist.

The World Bank directed FOX Business to a Politico interview that was released Friday when it was reached for comment on the report. During that interview, Malpass stated that he would not resign and that the World Bank is making a forceful leadership job on climate change.

When asked, do you consider yourself a climate denier? He said no, but I should have said no, later adding that it had been a poorly chosen line. He spoke about climate change in a Thursday interview with CNN, saying that it's clear that greenhouse gas emissions come from manmade sources, including fossil fuels, methane, agricultural uses and industrial uses. Climate activists have called for Malpass and the World Bank to do more on climate change in the past. In fiscal 2022, the World Bank provided $31.7 billion in lending for climate-related investments.

Malpass became the head of the World Bank in 2019 after former President Donald Trump tapped him for the role, and the board of governors confirmed him. He has a five-year term that is scheduled to end in 2024.