Leonardo DiCaprio calls Greta Thunberg 'a leader of our time'

Actor Leonardo DiCaprio has lavished praise on Swedish teenage climate change activist Greta Thunberg, calling her "a leader of our time".

The Academy-Award-winning actor is well-known for his own environmental campaigning, and he recently had the opportunity to meet with Thunberg in person. DiCaprio took to Instagram to share two pictures of himself with Thunberg and shared his thoughts on the importance of her political activism.

Watch Greta Thunberg's inspirational speech on climate change addressed to world leaders:

DiCaprio captioned the post: "There are few times in human history where voices are amplified at such pivotal moments and in such transformational ways – but @GretaThunberg has become a leader of our time."

He continued: "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. I hope that Greta’s message is a wake-up call to world leaders everywhere that the time for inaction is over."

He added: "It is because of Greta, and young activists everywhere that I am optimistic about what the future holds. It was an honor to spend time with Greta. She and I have made a commitment to support one another, in hopes of securing a brighter future for our planet.

DiCaprio previously produced and appeared in a 2016 documentary movie entitled Before the Flood, which sees the actor travel to various regions of the world to explore the impact of global warming on the environment. The movie also closely examines the phenomenon of climate change denial among corporate lobbyists and US politicians.

Check out the trailer for Leo's climate change documentary Before the Flood:

This week has been a busy one for Thunberg, who recently turned down a prestigious $50,000 prize in order to better focus on her international campaigning.