Activist star warns of a titanic ending if the world doesn't act

Leonardo DiCaprio might be best known to his Hong Kong fans for his role in Titanic, but yesterday, on a whirlwind tour of the city to promote his award-winning environmental documentary The 11th Hour, he was thinking about a different kind of sinking ship.

'We have to realise we have a unique opportunity at this period of time in history as a world community,' DiCaprio said as he urged the world's two biggest greenhouse gas producers, the US and China, to do more for a sustainable future. 'This goes beyond religion, it goes beyond government and beyond countries.

'It's up to this generation to make differences in sustainable energy and make a positive impact on our planet ... because if we don't, we will be answering to the next generations. I think we will probably be the most vilified generation in history if we don't make some sort of a positive impact now.

'I think definitely China is making steps towards that... The US is a little slower behind in a lot of areas. But we definitely need to make some transition extremely fast.

'I absolutely feel in many different ways, [if] these two countries, the US and China, don't set an example fast, it doesn't look good for the future.

'We could both do a lot more. We need to be one to set an example for the rest of the world to follow.'