Mathias Cormann elected head of the OECD despite climate problems

PARIS – The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development said Monday it had named the former Australian Minister of Finance, Mathias Cormann, headed.

The appointment of Cormann as the new Secretary-General of the OECD comes despite objections over his climate record.

Cormann, who will begin his five-year term on June 1 in a Paris-based organization, has faced criticism for opposing climate change initiatives in Australia.

Cormann voted against declaring a climate emergency, told climate-conscious young people to “stick to schools” and constantly did not take action to reduce emissions.

Many climate groups have hampered his candidacy, including Greenpeace, which he called a “missed opportunity”.

As the first secretary general from the Asia-Pacific region, Cormann said the OECD, under his leadership, would work to promote “stronger, cleaner, fairer economic growth and raise employment and living standards” as the world wants out of the coronavirus pandemic.

He also said he would “work to promote global leadership in ambitious and effective action on climate change to achieve global zero emissions by 2050.”

Cormann, 50, was born in Belgium but settled in Australia in the 1990s as a young man. He became the longest-serving Australian finance minister, a job he held from 2013 to 2020.