Leonardo Di Caprio gushes over Greta Thunberg, calls the teen activist a 'leader of our time' as they vow to support each other
After meeting with 16-year-old climate change activist Greta Thunberg for the first time, actor and environmentalist Leonardo DiCaprio called her a "leader of our time".
In an Instagram post he shared on Friday showing the two of them together, the actor said that Thunberg's message should be a "wake-up call to world leaders everywhere that the time for inaction is over", The actor added that it was an honour to speak with the young activist.
"There are a few times in human history where voices are amplified at such pivotal moments and in such transformative ways... 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.
The 44-year-old actor added that he is "optimistic about what the future holds" thanks to Thunberg and young activists all around the world like her.
"It is an honour to spend time with Greta. She and I made a commitment to support one another, in hopes of securing a bright future for our planet."
Meanwhile, Thunberg took to her social media accounts seeking help in getting to the United Nations' COP25 climate change summit. Since the summit moved from Santiago to Madrid, she wrote she has now "travelled half around the world, the wrong way" and needs to "find a way to cross the Atlantic in November". Thunberg refuses to travel by air for environmental reasons and wrote that she'd be "grateful" if someone helps her find transport.
Thunberg has sparked a movement across the world encouraging young and old to resist and protest the climate crisis.
Despite being widely criticised for his use of private jets, the actor is a vocal climate change campaigner and had highlighted the grave matter at his 2016 acceptance speech at the 88th Academy Awards.
"Climate change is real, it is happening right now. It is the most urgent threat facing our entire species, and we need to work collectively together and stop procrastinating," he had said. DiCaprio was last seen in Quentin Tarantino's 'Once Upon A Time... In Hollywood'.