After committing against oil and gas drilling in Africa, he raises funds to protect the Amazon. Leonardo DiCaprio helped launch a $200 million fund to protect the Amazon rainforest alongside billionaire and Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos. The purpose of the maneuver? Save indigenous peoples and preserve the fauna and flora of the forest for the next four years, tells 20 minutes.
“We are inspired by Brazil’s ambitious goals to protect the Amazon, one of the most important places for flora and fauna on the planet,” the actor wrote in a statement carried by Re:Wold, a rewilding organization he co-founded two years ago.
Amazon owner Jeff Bezos also participated in the investment fund. His planetary defense organization, Bezos Earth Fund, which he co-founded with his partner Lauren Sanchez, also issued a statement on the importance of protecting the Amazon. “The Amazon is essential for the future of global biodiversity and the climate,” writes Cristian Samper, the fund’s managing director, before praising the action of Brazilian President Lula.
With these investments, the two men hope to put an end to deforestation and thus preserve 58 million hectares of public land in the Amazon. According to the same press release, 17% of the Amazon rainforest has already disappeared. If nothing is done, deforestation could climb up to 25%. Strengthening the management of existing protected areas and protecting the indigenous populations living there seems to be the only way to stem this destruction.