Leonardo DiCaprio has announced that his environmental charity, the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, will donate US$20 million to over 100 organisations in a bid to protect the species and landscape of our planet.
The donation, which targets Somalia, the Amazon, Kenya and the United States, covers six topics; wildlife and landscape conservation, marine life and ocean conservation, climate change, indigenous rights, innovative solutions and the California climate change program. “We are proud to support the work of over 100 organisations at home and abroad,” DiCaprio said prior to a climate change conference at Yale University on Tuesday. “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.”
The actor added that turning to renewable energy was a crucial move for the protection of the planet. “There exist today many proven technologies in renewable energy, clean transportation and sustainable agriculture, that we can begin to build a brighter future for all of us,” he stated. “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.”
The donation is the largest amount DiCaprio’s foundation has granted before. Since its inception in 1998 it has donated approximately US$60 million.
