World Bank boss David Malpass announces resignation

The World Bank needs to find a new boss. After around four years in office, David Malpass will step down at the end of June, the World Bank announced on Wednesday. Malpass announced in a statement that he was looking for a new challenge.

He was appointed by former US President Donald Trump and took up the post at the World Bank in April 2019. The former US Treasury Secretary, who is seen as a skeptic of multilateral institutions, is stepping down from his post a year before the end of his regular five-year term.

Malpass caused a stir last year with statements about global warming. When asked at a conference whether the burning of fossil fuels by humans leads to rapid and dangerous global warming, he replied with "I'm not a scientist".

Former US Vice President and climate protection activist Al Gore had previously described Malpass as a "climate denier". The World Bank President was then asked to comment.

Malpass' response provoked sharp criticism from activists. The White House also criticized the World Bank boss. The World Bank must be a "world leader" in the fight against the climate crisis, said President Joe Biden's spokeswoman, Karine Jean-Pierre.

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen recognized Malpass's work. "While we all must continue to raise our collective ambitions to fight climate change, the World Bank has made important strides in this area during President Malpass's administration," the New York Times quoted Yellen as saying in a statement.

According to the statute, one of the main tasks of the World Bank is the fight against poverty. Traditionally, the United States is the head of the World Bank.