World Bank chief defends record on climate

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World Bank chief defends record on climate

After declining to say whether he accepts the scientific consensus on global warming, World Bank president David Malpass said it was clear greenhouse emissions are causing climate change, and defended his record as bank chief amid calls for his removal from the position.

His views had been scrutinised earlier in the week after he refused to say during a public event whether he believed fossil-fuel burning was warming the planet.

Mr Malpass was asked onstage during a panel on climate finance, whether he believed that the man-made burning of fossil fuels is rapidly warming the planet. He tried to dodge the question before saying: I don't even know. I'm not a scientist, but he wanted to clarify his views on Thursday in a note to staff and an interview on CNN International, during which he was asked outright if he was a denier of climate change.

Climate advocates have called for US President Joe Biden to be replaced by Malpass before his five-year term ends in 2024, as a result of the criticism from climate advocates.

He was nominated by former President Donald Trump in the year 2019 because of the tradition that allows the US to choose the head of the World Bank and European governments to choose the head of the International Monetary Fund.

In an interview with US outlet Politico on Friday, Mr Malpass said he wouldn't resign, and that he hadn't been asked to do so by any of the bank's member governments.

He acknowledged he should have done a better job responding to questions on Tuesday when he was asked to respond to a charge by former US Vice-President Al Gore, who said he was a climate denier. But he also said that the World Bank was taking a forceful leadership position on climate issues.

He said in the Friday interview that greenhouse gas emissions from human activity are causing climate change.

The task for the world is to pull together the projects and funding that actually has an impact. Removal would require approval from other member nations of the World Bank.

On Friday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Friday that the Biden administration disagreed with Mr Malpass's earlier comments that climate change was not caused by human activity.

Ms Jean-Pierre did not say if the administration would try to remove Mr Malpass, as that would require the approval of other World Bank members.

The Treasury Department would hold Malpass accountable and support the many staff working to fight climate change at the World Bank, according to Jean-Pierre. The removal would require a majority of stakeholders to push out, and the majority of stakeholders have urged that Mr Malpass be pushed out if necessary. Over 70 non-governmental organisations called for him to be replaced last year, citing lack of action.

Since 2010, the World Bank hasn't made any coal investments, and its board agreed in 2013 to limit financing of coal-fired power plants. In the year 2019 the Bank stopped funding upstream oil and gas operations.

It has resisted pressure from European board members and climate campaigners to phase out fossil fuel financing entirely.

In January of last year, the Bank approved a US 620 million $947 million investment in a multi billion-dollar liquefied natural gas project in Mozambique.