Leonardo DiCaprio rails against fossil fuels in award speech

DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan. 20 (UPI) --

Leonardo DiCaprio called for the elimination of fossil fuels during an award speech at the World Economic Forum.

DiCaprio received a Crystal award for his environmental work at the forum in Davos, Switzerland, and used the platform to call for responsibility from energy companies for their misuse of fossil fuels.

We simply cannot afford to allow the corporate greed of the coal, oil and gas industries to determine the future of humanity. Those entities with a financial interest in preserving this destructive system have denied, and even covered up the evidence of our changing climate, he said. Enough is enough. You know better. The world knows better. History will place the blame for this devastation squarely at their feet.

He applauded worldwide efforts to reduce climate change but stressed that more work needs to be done to improve the environment.

Last month in Paris, world leaders reached an historic agreement that provides a concrete framework to reduce carbon emissions, he said. This was an important first step, but we are a long way off from claiming victory in this fight for our future -- for the survival of our planet.

DiCaprio, who is nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor in The Revenant, also promised $15 million in grants for environmental protection from his foundation, including funds toward protecting 6.5 million acres of rainforest from oil companies.

The actor said the solution to the global warming crisis lies in moving away from the use of fossil fuels.

Our planet cannot be saved unless we leave fossil fuels in the ground where they belong, he said. Twenty years ago, we described this problem as an addiction. Today we possess the means to end this reliance.

DiCaprio accepted the crystal award along with three other high-profile activists including Chinese actor Yau Chen, artist Olafur Eliasson and musician will.i.am.