Actor, producer and celebrity Li Chen, best known for his participation in the TV programme Running Man and starring roles in series Beijing Love Story (2012) and The Good Fellows (2016), as well as the film Ultimate Rescue (2008), was designated as a UN Environment Goodwill Ambassador in Beijing today.
In his role as Goodwill Ambassador, Li will work towards creating effective partnerships and awareness on environment and health, including air pollution in China. As one of the most recognized celebrities in China, with a social media following of over 41 million, he is in a unique position to inform and inspire the Chinese audience on environmental issues.
"I'm delighted and excited to welcome Li Chen as a Goodwill Ambassador," Erik Solheim, Head of UN Environment said. “He has shown a commitment and passion for a healthy environment for years, and we are honored to have him on our team. I'm confident he will be an inspiration to millions of people and generate a wave of positive action.”
Li Chen has dedicated himself to activism for many years, touching upon environmental issues on several occasions. In 2015, he was ranked in the top five most influential Chinese celebrities in social activism. Via his Weibo platform, Li’s charity-related outreach messages gained more than 1 billion hits in a single year, and he has inspired millions of people, including other celebrities, to support various charities. In the same year, he was also awarded the Charity Idol Prize at the GQ Men of the Year Awards.
Li is an Ambassador of Environmental Protection for the Environmental Protection Bureau of Beijing.
Air pollution is the biggest environmental health risk of our time, with nine out of 10 people worldwide breathing unsafe air. It contributes to the deaths of some 6.5 million people worldwide every year, and makes a significant contribution to climate change. UN Environment is addressing these challenges by building public awareness on the dangers and causes of unsafe air, and building the global political will needed to make commitments and action plans to reduce air pollution.
NOTES TO EDITORS
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/
UN Environment Assembly
The UN Environment Assembly, the world's highest-level decision-making body on the environment, will gather in Nairobi, Kenya, from 4-6 December 2017 under the overarching theme of pollution.
The Assembly aims to deliver a number of tangible commitments to end the pollution of our air, land, waterways, and oceans, and to safely manage our chemicals and waste. Learn more: http://www.unep.org/environmentassembly/
