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

Friends of the Earth warns that the appointment of Ben Black, a former private equity executive, as CEO of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) may shift the agency's focus from sustainable development toward profit-driven investments. The organization expresses concern that this leadership change could lead to increased financing for extractive projects and a weakening of environmental and social safeguards.

• The U.S. Senate confirmed Ben Black as CEO of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) with a vote of 51–47, noting his previous roles at Fortinbras Enterprises and Apollo Global Management.
• Friends of the Earth argues that Ben Black's background in private equity and lack of foreign policy experience may cause the DFC to prioritize corporate profit over climate goals and vulnerable communities.
• There are existing concerns regarding the DFC's role in financing extractive projects, specifically mining and industrial infrastructure, regarding 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} }