World Bank (WB) President David Malpas told the organization’s executive board this Wednesday that he plans to step down by the end of the fiscal year. This was made public by the organization through a statement in which Malpas himself did not give reasons for his departure, he only specified that he wants to “pursue new challenges”.
The past four years “have been the most important of my career,” during which time “I’ve made a lot of progress,” he says. “It has been an honor and a privilege to serve as President of the World Bank,” Malpas wrote on Twitter.
Malpass has held the position since April 2019 and was nominated by former President of the United States, Donald Trump (2017-2021). His role was called into question after he repeatedly avoided answering a debate in September last year about whether he knew the scientific consensus that humans burning fossil fuels were “accelerating and dangerously warming the planet”.
“I don’t even know, I’m not a scientist, and that’s not the question,” he told the New York Times at a meeting for Climate Week in New York, a response that led some climate activists to call for his resignation. Malpas later admitted that his words were unfortunate, and that if asked if he was a climate change denier, he should have clearly said no.
The economist also caused controversy after reaching the position, because before that he distinguished himself by criticizing this institution, arguing that, for example, that the only ones who benefit from their credits are those who fly first class “to give advice to governments.”
Source: El Diario
