Biden nominates former Mastercard boss Ajay Banga to lead World Bank

The United States is nominating former Mastercard CEO Ajay Banga to lead the World Bank, President Joe Biden announced on Thursday, crediting him with critical experience on global challenges including climate change.

The news comes days after Trump appointee David Malpass announced plans to step down in June from his role leading the 189-nation poverty reduction agency. His five-year term was due to expire in April 2024.

Addressing the impacts of climate change at the multilateral bank is a priority for the US.

And leading climate figures have urged the Biden administration to use Mr Malpass’ early departure as an opening to overhaul the powerful financial institution, which has been increasingly criticised as hostile to less-wealthy nations and efforts to address climate change.

Mr Malpass ran into criticism last year for seeming, in comments at a conference, to cast doubt on the science that says the burning of fossil fuels causes global warming.

He later apologised and said he had misspoken, noting that the bank routinely relies on climate science.

Mr Banga, currently vice chairman at private equity firm General Atlantic, has more than 30 years of business experience, having served in various roles at Mastercard and the boards of the American Red Cross, Kraft Foods and Dow.

He is the first Indian-born nominee to the World Bank president role.

“Ajay is uniquely equipped to lead the World Bank at this critical moment in history,” Mr Biden said in a statement, adding that Banga “has critical experience mobilising public-private resources to tackle the most urgent challenges of our time, including climate change.”

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in a statement that Mr Banga’s experience “will help him achieve the World Bank’s objectives of eliminating extreme poverty and expanding shared prosperity while pursuing the changes needed to effectively evolve the institution”, which include meeting “ambitious goals for climate adaptation and emissions reduction”.

The United States has traditionally picked the World Bank chief. The head of its sister agency, the International Monetary Fund, has traditionally come from Europe. But critics have called for an end to that arrangement and for developing countries to gain a bigger voice in the two organisations.

The World Bank has promised to conduct “an open, merit-based and transparent selection process” and said it would accept nominations through March 29.

The bank is under intense pressure to do more to help poor countries finance projects to combat and prepare for climate change without saddling them with heavy debt burdens.