Leonardo DiCaprio met with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday (07Dec16) in a bid to convince him to protect the environment.
The activist and actor, 42, and the head of his self-titled environmental foundation met the billionaire turned politician at New York’s Trump Tower to present him with a plan to create jobs and save the planet.
In a statement to the Associated Press (AP), Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation (LDF) head Terry Tamminen said, “Today, we presented the President-elect and his advisors with a framework – which LDF developed in consultation with leading voices in the fields of economics and environmentalism – that details how to unleash a major economic revival across the United States that is centered on investments in sustainable infrastructure.”
One of Trump’s controversial policy positions has been his voicing of skepticism on whether climate change is a manmade phenomenon.
Climate scientists and campaigners have voiced dismay over Trump’s choice to head America’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) John Pruitt, who is a leading climate change skeptic.
However Tamminen optimistically added, “Our conversation focused on how to create millions of secure, American jobs in the construction and operation of commercial and residential clean, renewable energy generation.”
The 2016 Oscar winner also presented Trump with a copy of his new climate change documentary Before the Flood during a 90 minute meeting.
Trump has also spoken in favor of the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline, which suffered a setback on Sunday (04Dec16) when U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) officials refused a permit for work on a crucial leg of the project.
Bosses at Leonardo’s foundation are opposed to the pipeline project, posting a congratulatory message to protesters on their Facebook page after USACE’s announcement.
However Tamminen suggested The Revenant star’s meeting with Trump had been productive enough for them to agree to another rendezvous.
“We look forward to continuing the conversation with the incoming administration as we work to stop the dangerous march of climate change, while putting millions of people to work at the same time,” he said.
