Friends of the Earth Statement on Senate Confirmation of Ben Black to Lead U.S. International Development Finance Corporation

Friends of the Earth expresses concern over the Senate's confirmation of Ben Black as CEO of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), arguing that his private equity background may shift the agency's focus from sustainable development toward profit-driven investments.

• The U.S. Senate confirmed Ben Black, a former Apollo Global Management executive and managing partner at Fortinbras Enterprises, as the Chief Executive Officer of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) with a vote of 51–47.
• Friends of the Earth argues that Ben Black's professional background in private equity and lack of foreign policy experience could lead the DFC to prioritize corporate profit over environmental and social safeguards, potentially expanding financing for projects that harm vulnerable communities and undermine climate goals.
• Friends of the Earth has previously criticized the DFC for its role in financing industrial infrastructure and extractive projects abroad, citing issues with accountability, consultation, and transparency.

APA

Fox, A. (2025). Friends of the Earth Statement on Senate Confirmation of Ben Black to Lead U.S. International Development Finance Corporation. Friends of the Earth. https://foe.org/news/statement-on-senate-confirmation-of-ben-black-dfc/

Chicago

Fox, Audrey. Friends of the Earth Statement on Senate Confirmation of Ben Black to Lead U.S. International Development Finance Corporation. Friends of the Earth, 2025. https://foe.org/news/statement-on-senate-confirmation-of-ben-black-dfc/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Fox |first1=Audrey |title=Friends of the Earth Statement on Senate Confirmation of Ben Black to Lead U.S. International Development Finance Corporation |publisher=Friends of the Earth |date=16 October 2025 |url=https://foe.org/news/statement-on-senate-confirmation-of-ben-black-dfc/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{fox2025friends, author = {Fox, Audrey}, title = {{Friends of the Earth Statement on Senate Confirmation of Ben Black to Lead U.S. International Development Finance Corporation}}, publisher = {Friends of the Earth}, year = {2025}, month = oct, url = {https://foe.org/news/statement-on-senate-confirmation-of-ben-black-dfc/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }