(Washington) Many voices were raised Wednesday to call for the departure of the President of the World Bank, David Malpass, after the latter refused the day before to comment on the impact of fossil fuels on global warming.
Posted at 6:10 p.m.
During a round table organized on Tuesday by the New York Times and devoted to financing the fight against global warming, the president of the institution was questioned on several occasions to find out whether he recognized the fact that fossil fuels had a real impact in terms of global warming, refusing to each times to answer.
The event took place as part of New York Climate Week, which is held on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
“Do you accept the scientific consensus insisting that the use of fossil fuels is dangerously and rapidly heating the planet? “Asked him, three times, the moderator of the event. Mr. Malpass declined to answer.
Pushed by the public to decide, the manager ended up declaring that he did not know. “I am not a scientist”, he justified, preferring to highlight the “enormous effort” made by the World Bank to help finance against global warming.
Mr. Malpass’s comment sparked many reactions from NGOs specializing in the fight against global warming, which called for his departure.
“The World Bank cannot be run by a climate skeptic. President Biden and the institution’s board of directors must fire him immediately, ”said Luisa Galvao of the Friends of the Earth association in a statement.
” With [David] With Malpass at its head, the World Bank cannot be trusted to be a partner in sustainable development,” said Bronwen Tucker of Oil Change International.
Asked by AFP, the World Bank declined to comment.
The day before, former vice-president Al Gore had accused David Malpass of being “climatosceptic”, believing that he had been unable to improve the financing of climate projects in developing countries.
Considered a loyal supporter of former US President Donald Trump, who proposed his candidacy for the head of the institution, David Malpass was elected President of the World Bank in April 2019.