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Leonardo DiCaprio's Foundation To Give $20m To Tackle Climate Change

Leonardo DiCaprio's Foundation To Give $20m To Tackle Climate Change

The 'Titanic' star is pulling out all the stops.

James Dawson

James Dawson

Leonardo DiCaprio has always been passionate about the environment and at a conference at Yale University, he has announced his biggest financial contribution yet.

The 43-year-old has pledged that his foundation, The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, will give away almost $20 million (£15m) to 100 organisations and charities all over the world, reports the Hollywood Reporter.

It's a huge charitable donation from the actor and the foundation's largest-ever portfolio of environmental grants.

Since establishing his foundation almost 20 years ago, it has given $59 million (£44m) to various charities all over the world.

The foundation's mission is to protect the world's last wild places. It implements solutions that help restore balance to threatened ecosystems, ensuring the long-term health and well-being of all Earth's inhabitants. Since 1998, the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation has worked on some of the most pressing environmental issues of our day.

Leonard DiCaprio is thought to have earned $28 million (£21m) for his role in The Revenant in 2015, which won him a Best Actor Oscar, and is estimated to have a personal wealth of $242 million (£180m).

Credit: PA

The Leonardo Di Caprio Foundation's grants cover six areas: climate change, wildlife and landscape conservation, marine life and ocean conservation, innovative solutions, indigenous rights and the California climate change programme.

Some experts have claimed that both Hurricane Harvey and Irma were made worse by climate change.

"We are proud to support the work of over 100 organisations at home and abroad," DiCaprio said while attending a climate change conference at Yale University.

"These grantees are active on the ground, protecting our oceans, forests and endangered species for future generations - and tackling the urgent, existential challenges of climate change."

"Our challenge is to find new ways to power our lives, employ millions of people and turn every individual into an advocate for clean air and drinkable water.

"We must demand that politicians accept climate science and make bold commitments before it is too late."

Credit: PA

DiCaprio spoke to Donald Trump about climate change earlier this year and was critical of the President of the United States when he pulled out of the Paris Agreement.

The new facts around climate change are astonishing. Sea levels are rising at the fastest rate for over 2000 years, Arctic sea ice and glaciers are melting and we are experiencing some of the highest temperatures in years.

This has already had an effect on the lives of millions of human beings. An average of 21.5 million people have been forcibly displaced since 2008 due to climate changed-related weather hazards.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: climate change, Leonardo DiCaprio