DAVID Malpass, the president of the World Bank, is quitting.
He said hat he would leave his job by the end of the fiscal year in June.
Malpass said it had been an “enormous honor and privilege to serve alongside so many talented and exceptional people as president of the world’s leading development institution.”
The World Bank boss — who was appointed by former President Donald Trump — had come under fire after an interview last year in which he seemed to cast doubt on climate change science. His departure opens the door for the Biden administration to pick his replacement. The U.S. has traditionally selected the head of the bank, although that may be contested by other governments.
“The next few months will provide a good opportunity for a smooth leadership transition,” Malpass said Wednesday.
Malpass confirmed his departure in a tweet. The World Bank put out a release announcing Malpass was stepping down and listed the bank’s accomplishments under his tenure.
In the email to staff, Malpass praised World Bank employees for their efforts in buffering developing countries from a series of global shocks, namely “the Covid-19 pandemic, war in Ukraine, sharp global economic slowdown, unsustainable debt burdens, climate change, and food, fertilizer, and energy shortages.”
Potential successors for Malpass have been circulating for months, following scrutiny in climate circles for a reputation of not doing enough to steer development dollars away from fossil fuels and toward clean energy.
U.S. special climate envoy John Kerry, former Vice President Al Gore and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg are some of the more familiar names. Others include Minouche Shafik, who recently accepted a job to become Columbia University’s president; Daleep Singh, who was deputy national security adviser for international economics in President Joe Biden’s White House; World Trade Organization Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; and former U.S. Agency for International Development Administrator Raj Shah, who now leads the Rockefeller Foundation.
https://www.politico.com/news/2023/02/15/world-bank-chief-malpass-departing-00083070
