DiCaprio appointed UN climate envoy
Titanic and Wolf of Wall Street star named as a representative on climate change by UN chief Ban Ki-moon
Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio has been appointed as a United Nations representative on climate change by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
The announcement was made on Wednesday and the UN hopes to use the actor's global stardom to promote awareness and action on the global challenge posed by climate change.
DiCaprio, 39, will have the official title of UN Messenger of Peace on Climate Change, and his first duty in his new role will be to address the opening of the UN Climate Summit in New York on 23 September.
The summit has been called for by Ban as he seeks to bolster political ambition and urgency ahead the scheduled signing of a global legally binding climate deal at the COP21 meeting in Paris 2015.
The one-day summit is being billed as a condensed version of the annual two-week United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of Parties (COP) with COP20 scheduled for Lima, Peru at the end of the year.
In a statement, Ban said: “Mr. DiCaprio is a credible voice in the environmental movement, and has a considerable platform to amplify its message. I am pleased he has chosen to add his voice to UN efforts to raise awareness of the urgency and benefits of acting now to combat climate change.”
DiCaprio said: “It’s an honour to accept the role of UN Messenger of Peace on Climate Change and to support the Secretary General in his efforts to address one of the most important issues we face as a global community. I feel a moral obligation to speak out at this key moment in human history — it is a moment for action. How we respond to the climate crisis in the coming years will likely determine the fate of humanity and our planet.”
The Titanic and Wolf of Wall Street star has worked on a range of environmental issues and established the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation in 1998, with the aim of protecting under-threat species and habitats.
The foundation donated US$7 million (£4.32 million) last month to ocean conservation.
He joins 11 other Messengers of Peace, individuals who possess widely recognized talents in the fields of art, film, literature, music and sports, who help raise worldwide awareness of the UN’s ideals and activities.
John Kerry, the US Secretary of State, has praised DiCaprio’s environmental work, and he is also due to be honoured by the Clinton Global Initiative later this month.
