Leonardo DiCaprio and Jeff Bezos are spearheading a new $200 million (£157 million) effort to save Brazil’s Amazon rainforest.

The Protecting Our Planet (POP) Challenge will see the Brazilian government partner with DiCaprio’s Re:wild conservation nonprofit and the Amazon founder’s Nature Solutions of the Bezos Earth Fund.

The scheme will result in $200 million being invested in support of the expansion and management of Brazil’s protected areas and Indigenous territories over the next four years.

After making the announcement, The Revenant star said: “We are inspired by Brazil’s ambitious goals for protecting the Amazon, one of the most important places for wildlife on the planet, and are thrilled to be able to support these efforts through the Protecting Our Planet Challenge.”

Cristián Samper, managing director and leader of Nature Solutions of the Bezos Earth Fund, added: “The Amazon is critical for the future of global biodiversity and climate, and we welcome the commitment from President Lula and the Government of Brazil to protect it.”

The POP Challenge aims to ensure zero deforestation in the Amazon, safeguard 145 million acres of the Amazon’s undesignated public lands, strengthen the management of existing protected areas, and protect Indigenous peoples.

– Cover Media