16 September 2014: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has designated Leonardo DiCaprio, actor and environmental activist, as UN Messenger of Peace, with a special focus on climate change.

Ban invited DiCaprio to address the UN Climate Summit on 23 September 2014, in New York, US, and praised DiCaprio’s commitment to environmental causes, including funds raised and grants provided to environmental protection and conservation projects through his foundation, the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation. Through grant making, public campaigning and media projects, DiCaprio has brought attention and funding to biodiversity, ocean and forest conservation, as well as climate change adaptation and mitigation.

DiCaprio stated that he felt a “moral obligation to speak out at this key moment in human history,” noting that how we respond to the climate crisis will likely determine the fate of humanity and our planet.

DiCaprio will join 11 other UN Messengers of Peace and one Goodwill Ambassador who advocate on behalf of the UN on a variety of priority issues. Messengers of Peace are individuals, with recognized talents in the fields of art, film, literature, music and sports, who can take advantage of a significant public platform to help to raise awareness about the UN’s ideals and activities.

The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation’s mission is to protect the Earth’s last wild places and implement solutions to build a more harmonious relationship between humanity and the natural world. [UN Press Release] [Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation Website]