Oscar-winning actor Leonardo DiCaprio lavished some high praise on teenage climate change activist Greta Thunberg. The actor and the activist met in California this week.
DiCaprio is himself a prominent environmental campaigner, he met the 16-year-old Thunberg and shared photos of their meeting. In the post, he called her a “leader of our time.”
“There are few times in human history where voices are amplified at such pivotal moments and in such transformational ways – but Greta Thunberg has become a leader of our time,” he wrote in an Instagram post.
“History will judge us for what we do today to help guarantee that future generations can enjoy the same livable planet that we have so clearly taken for granted,” he wrote, adding: “I hope that Greta’s message is a wake-up call to world leaders everywhere that the time for inaction is over.”
DiCaprio went on to say that it was an “honor” to meet with Thunberg and that he is “optimistic about what the future holds” thanks to young activists like her.
“She and I have made a commitment to support one another, in hopes of securing a brighter future for our planet,” he added.
The Oscar winning actor is a vocal climate change activist, however, he has taken a significant amount of criticism in the past for his preference for fuel-guzzling private plane travel.
Thunberg first made headlines when her Fridays for Future campaign went global in the last few months. At a U.N. climate conference in September, she repeatedly scolded world leaders, asking, “How dare you?”
She was this year’s favorite to win the Nobel Peace Prize, which eventually went to Ethiopia Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
How do you think Dicaprio’s endorsement of Greta will affect the movement that she represents? We look forward to seeing your comments in the section just below this article.