Oscar Nominee Leonardo DiCaprio From The Film 'The Wolf Of Wall Street' Arrives At The 25th Annual Producers Guild Of America Awards In Beverly Hills
IN PHOTO: Oscar nominee Leonardo DiCaprio from the film "The Wolf of Wall Street" arrives at the 25th Annual Producers Guild of America Awards in Beverly Hills, California January 19, 2014. REUTERS/Fred Prouser

Academy Award-nominated actor Leonardo DiCaprio has a new feather in his cap. The Hollywood hunk has been appointed as United Nations representative on climate change. DiCaprio has been named as United Nations Messenger of Peace and has been tasked to use this position to spread awareness about climate change, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has revealed.

The actor has been bestowed with a task to open a very important climate summit on Sept 23 in New York. Many leaders from around the world are expected to be present when DiCaprio makes his inaugural speech. The summit is held one day prior to the U.N. General Assembly's annual gathering of world leaders begins. It will finally set the stage for another very important climate conference that is scheduled to take place in Paris in December 2015.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon praised the "Titanic" actors' previous efforts in the environmental movement. Ban Ki-moon said DiCaprio has a good platform and mass reach to spread awareness about the cause.

"Leonardo DiCaprio is not just one of the world's leading actors. He has also a long-standing commitment to environmental causes, including through his foundation," said Ban Ki-moon in a press release.

Apart from his successful Hollywood career, the "Catch Me If You Can" actor has been actively involved in the protection of the environment and spreading awareness about the cause. His 1998-founded Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation contributes funds toward protecting endangered species of tigers and also gives money for the well-being of wild and marine animals. The aim of the organisation is to build a "harmonious relationship between humanity and the natural world."

"I feel a moral obligation to speak out at this key moment in human history—it is a moment for action. How we respond to the climate crisis in the coming years will likely determine the fate of humanity and our planet," said the 39-year-old actor in a statement, adding he was "honoured" to accept this United Nations post.

DiCaprio joins 11 other messengers of peace in their mission to educate people on various issues. Stevie Wonder, Michael Douglas and Brazilian author Paulo Coelho are a few of them.