Leonardo DiCaprio makes $15m donation to environmental causes

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The star's donations go to Oceans 5 and Amazon Watch, among others
In September he spoke at the United Nations summit on climate change
In 2013, DiCaprio's foundation gave $3 million to the World Wildlife Fund

Published: 12:34 EST, 14 July 2015 | Updated: 16:54 EST, 14 July 2015

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He's been criticized for living a lavish jet-set lifestyle while preaching about climate change, but actor Leonardo DiCaprio is putting his money where his mouth is.

The Wolf of Wall Street star, 40, announced on Tuesday his Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation will donate $15 million to various environmental causes to empower activists and organizations fighting to protect our planet.

Calling destruction to the environment too serious to ignore, the star said he wanted to lend a hand to help conservationists solve what he called 'humankind's greatest challenge.'

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Generous: Actor Leonardo DiCaprio has donated $15 million to environmental causes through his foundation

'The destruction of our planet continues at a pace we can no longer afford to ignore,' said the Titanic actor.

'We have a responsibility to innovate a future where the habitability of our planet does not come at the expense of those who inhabit it.

'I am proud to support these organizations who are working to solve humankind’s greatest challenge,' he said.

Lecture: The 40-year-old Oscar nominee urged nations to cut carbon emissions during his speech at the UN Climate Summit in New York in September

The millions in grants will support organizations including efforts to preserve the Earth's delicate ocean ecosystems and those working to protect the endangered gorillas in Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Conservation efforts to save the apes were the subject of last year's Oscar-nominated documentary Virunga, which DiCaprio executive produced.

The actor has long been been a high-profile environmental activist, sometimes drawing criticism for his outspokenness on climate change.

Actor activist: UN Secretary-General Ban-Ki Moon declared DiCaprio a UN Messanger of Peace with a focus on climate change in September last year

In September 2014, he spoke at the United Nations summit on climate change in New York, acting as a UN Messenger for Peace.

He raised hackles when he lectured UN delegates on the need to take immediate action to crack down on polluters and cut carbon emissions.

The Romeo And Juliet heartthrob also marched in that month's massive climate change rally in New York, which attracted 400,000 people.

Cleans up well: The Blood Diamonds star addressed the UN Summit on Climate Change in New York

It is not the actor's first multi-million dollar donation. In 2013, DiCaprio's foundation previously gave $3 million to the World Wildlife Fund to protect endangered tigers in Nepal.

However, the movie star has also drawn fire for his environmentally-unfriendly international lifestyle, with critics pointing out that carbon emissions from his private jets and yachting trips are hardly carbon-friendly.

The Prius driver also owns multiple homes and has been accused of being hypocritical for racking up a massive carbon footprint.

Bushy beard: The Catch Me If You Can actor tucked his long hair into a ponytail while grabbing lunch with friends in LA on Monday; he has grown his hair longer and is wearing a beard for his role in the film The Revenant

Leonardo DiCaprio dons bushy beard as he waits for his ride

Oceans 5, Amazon Watch, World Wildlife Fund, Save the Elephants and California Wolf Center are some of the organizations to receive grants from DiCaprio's Foundation.

Other groups receiving cash are less known, including Dark Snow, which measures Arctic melting, Digital Democracy, which helps indigenous cultures use technology to protect the Amazon, renewable energy project Powered By Light and other education and nonprofits.

In addition to his activist interests, DiCaprio has been hard at work filming upcoming frontier revenge drama The Revenant.

Quite the beard: The Wolf Of Wall Street actor was almost unrecognizable while out with friends in LA on Monday

The film is the latest project from Birdman director Alejandro G. Inarritu, and also stars British actor Tom Hardy.

The LA-born actor has often been spotted looking scruffy with a bushy beard and long hair, which he grew out for the intense role.

On Monday, the star was spotted out for lunch with pals in Los Angeles' trendy Larchmont Village, dressed down with his hair pulled into a messy ponytail and tucked under a cap.