Leo DiCaprio named climate change envoy

NEW YORK — Titanic and Wolf Of Wall Street star Leonardo DiCaprio has been named a United Nations envoy on climate change.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon made the announcement as the international body’s General Assembly prepares to meet for the 69th session next week. The 39-year-old actor, whose official title is UN Messenger of Peace on Climate Change, will address the UN’s Climate Summit on Tuesday.

A long-time climate change activist, the star runs the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, which is dedicated to protecting under-threat species and habitats, and last month donated US$7 million (S$9 million) to ocean conservation. He owns an environmentally-friendly flat in New York along with a number of hybrid and electric vehicles, and once described global warning as “the number one environmental challenge”.

DiCaprio also recently provided the voice-over for a short film highlighting the risk from climate change and calling on the United States government to impose a carbon tax in order to tackle pollution. US Secretary of State John Kerry has praised DiCaprio’s environmental work, and he is also due to be honoured later this month by the Clinton Global Initiative.

In his new role, DiCaprio will act as an advocate on climate change issues on behalf of the UN.

The role of UN Messenger of Peace is awarded to “distinguished individuals, carefully selected from the fields of art, music, literature and sports, who have agreed to help focus worldwide attention on the work of the United Nations”.

Past envoys include fellow actors George Clooney and Edward Norton. THE DAILY TELEGRAPH