The US will put forward Ajay Banga, the former chief executive of Mastercard, as its candidate for president of the World Bank Group.

Banga would succeed David Malpass, who began a five-year term in April 2019, and announced on February 15 this year that he would leave office by June 30.

Media reports tied his resignation to statements in which he seemed uncertain whether human activity caused climate change.

In a White House statement, US president Joe Biden said Banga had “critical