The White House declined to defend World Bank President David Malpass, a Trump administration appointee, and said it condemned comments made by the bank chief on climate change.
Malpass ignited the fury of Democrats and activists this week when he dodged questions on whether man-made emissions drive climate change before backtracking in new interviews, stating that he was “not a denier.” But his comments did little to move the Biden administration, which has ignored repeated questions from the Washington Examiner on whether President Joe Biden backs the bank chief.
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“We condemn the words of the president,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Friday when asked repeatedly about Biden’s confidence in Malpass’s leadership.
When asked about a report that Biden officials “have considered trying to oust” Malpass and have already discussed alternative candidates, Jean-Pierre demurred.
The United States does not have unilateral authority to replace him, she said, before indicating that he could face repercussions.
“Treasury will hold Malpass accountable to his position, and so will many staff working in the World Bank,” Jean-Pierre said.
During a New York Times event Tuesday, Malpass responded that he was “not a scientist” when asked about the effects of man-made emissions. “What we need to do is move forward with impactful projects,” he added.
In another panel at the event, U.S. climate envoy John Kerry would not say whether the Biden administration had confidence in Malpass’s leadership, stating, “That’s the president’s decision.”
Former Vice President Al Gore that day called Malpass a “climate denier” and urged the Biden administration to remove him. He has previously criticized the bank as “missing in action” on climate goals.
The Treasury Department has told multilateral development bank leaders that it expects them to lead on climate change, including in a private letter to the bank earlier this year.
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“We expect the World Bank Group to be a global leader of climate ambition and the mobilization of significantly more climate finance for developing countries,” a Treasury Department spokesperson said this week. “We have — and will continue — to make that expectation clear to World Bank leadership. The World Bank must be a full partner in delivering on this global agenda.”
