5 June 2017 - Hollywood actor Adrian Grenier, best known for his iconic role of A-list movie star Vincent Chase in eight seasons of the HBO smash hit and film “Entourage” received today in New York his designation as UN Environment Goodwill Ambassador.
In his new role, Grenier will advocate for drastically reducing single-use plastic and for the protection of marine species. He will also encourage his followers to make conscious consumer choices to reduce their environmental footprint.
“Together we must usher in a new era of compassion and carefulness through forward thinking environmental programs to drive measurable change,” said Adrian Grenier. “I am personally committed to creating ways in which the global community can come together to help solve our most critical climate crises through routine, collective action.
“The more we connect to nature in our daily lives, the more dedicated we will become to our individual commitments. Together, I believe we can go further, faster in our race to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.”
“I am delighted to welcome Adrian on board,” said UN Environment chief, Erik Solheim. “His charisma, energy and genuine passion for the environment inspire us to change our throw-away habits. He reminds us that global problems, from pollution to climate change, start with our everyday decisions and that we do have the power to stop them.”
Nature conservation has long been at the heart of Adrian Grenier’s social activism. Earlier this year, in Bali, he helped UN Environment launch its #CleanSeas campaign to end marine plastic pollution. He also threw his support behind the UN #WildforLife campaign, advocating for the conservation of sawfish.
Adrian Grenier actively supports organizations focused on habit-changing education, most notably through his work with the Lonely Whale Foundation, which he co-founded, and also in his work with Dell.
The Lonely Whale Foundation, launched by Grenier and producer Lucy Sumner in December 2015, strives to inspire empathy towards marine species and develop lifelong advocates for ocean health.
This year, the Foundation launched the innovative #StopSucking campaign to discourage the use of single-use plastic straws, which are particularly harmful to marine wildlife. The Foundation sees giving up or reducing single-use plastic straw as a first step people can take to reduce their plastic footprint.
The designation ceremony took place on the roof of the Empire State Building where Grenier threw the switch to bathe the iconic monument in green light to mark World Environment Day.
The Empire State Building is one of over 50 landmarks around the globe to turn green today in celebration of nature. Others include the Egyptian Pyramids, Christ the Redeemer Statue in Rio de Janeiro, Niagara Falls and the world’s tallest building - Burj Khalifa.
Adrian Grenier will actively participate in this week’s UN Ocean’s Conference, where he will call for urgent measures to reduce marine pollution and protect the wildlife that inhabits our seas.
NOTES TO EDITORS
About World Environment Day
This year's World Environment Day celebration is all about asking people to connect to nature. Across the world, thousands will be heading to the beaches to clean up plastic, replanting trees in forests or just taking time to be out in nature and share a photo of the place that matters to them. Find out how you can get involved at www.worldenvironmentday.global
About UN Environment
UN Environment is the leading global voice on the environment. It provides leadership and encourages partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations. UN Environment works with governments, the private sector, the civil society and with other UN entities and international organizations across the world. Find out more at http://unep.org/
