Mr. Malpass ingratiated himself with the employees of the World Bank with his steady, reserved approach and his personable manner. He has also benefited from low expectations. But some development experts still want to see more of his tenure with three more years.
Scott Morris, a senior fellow at the Center for Global Development, a think tank in Washington, said it was unfortunate that the World Bank seemed to leave the door open to funding fossil fuel projects. He suggested that Mr. Malpass did not have to come up with a clear strategic vision for the bank just yet, but attributed acceptance of climate change to him.
“It is remarkable to compare his statements today with his positions as a tax officer in the Trump administration two years ago, when the official position was to remove the word ‘climate’ from documents of a multilateral institution,” said Morris. “According to this standard, he has made a remarkable development into a climate leader.”
He added, “But it’s a question versus what, and is he up to the job of running this critical body on climate finance?”
The bank will accelerate its efforts in the coming months. Mr Malpass, in a speech last month about building a green, resilient and inclusive recovery. said His team integrated climate into all of the bank’s country strategies and would produce climate and development reports for 25 countries this year.
Mr. Malpass has recently worked to gain favor with the Biden administration. He speaks regularly to Ms. Yellen and personally invited her to take part in last week’s climate discussion.
When asked what the transition from the Trump administration to the Biden administration had meant for the bank, Mr. Malpass responded carefully. He noted that under Mr. Trump, the United States had approved a capital increase for the bank. He said the new White House team is deeply committed to the bank’s goals of reducing poverty, making food accessible and preparing countries for a changing climate.
“The guidelines of the Biden administration were very supportive of this mission,” said Malpass.
Lisa Friedman contributed to the coverage.
