Leonardo DiCaprio accepts Donald Trump’s proposal for a follow-up meeting on climate change

Leonardo DiCaprio met US President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday to discuss the issue of climate change, after which Trump expressed his desire for a follow-up meeting next month.

In their 90-minute meeting, DiCaprio and Trump discussed how to push climate change activism and how green jobs can help to boost the US economy. “We presented the President-elect and his advisors with a framework that details how to unleash a major economic revival across the United States that is centered on investments in sustainable infrastructure,” said Terry Tamminen, CEO of Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation.

“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,” said Terry, adding, “The president-elect expressed his desire for a follow-up meeting in January, and 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.”

DiCaprio also gifted the US-President elect a copy of his climate change documentary “Before the Flood,” which Trump has promised to watch. A few days back, Dicaprio met Ivanka Trump in a private meeting and gifted her copy of the same.

Read More: Leonardo DiCaprio gifts Ivanka Trump DVD of climate change documentary

Terry said that Trump, who had earlier called climate change a “hoax” invented by China, looked receptive and even suggested that they should meet again next month.

DiCaprio has been a strong advocate of fighting climate change and securing sustainable future for the planet. In the past few years, the actor-turned-environmentalist donated about $30m (AU$40.24) in funding, per his foundation. By this means, he aimed to help advance the UN climate negotiations, spread public awareness about climate change and its dangers, and protect coral reefs and well as tigers. In 2014, he met UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and the same year he was awarded with the title United Nations Messenger of Peace.

The meeting took place after Trump chose Attorney General of Oklahoma Scott Pruitt to head the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Pruitt, who is also a denier of climate change, has previously opposed Barak Obama’s EPA environmental regulations. He also sued the agency for regulation of power plants in his capacity as the attorney general.

Trump will meet another environmental activist and former Vice President Al Gore this week.