Actor Jason Momoa has a brand new job, he’s been appointed an official Advocate at the UN Environment Programme for Life Below Water.
The announcement was made in Lisbon, Portugal, where the UN Ocean Conference is being held to find ways to better manage and conserve the earth’s oceans and its resources. The event is also being co-hosted by Kenya.
Jason Momoa hopes to ‘protect and conserve the ocean’
Speaking at the event, the 42-year-old Aquaman actor said he hopes “to continue my own journey to protect and conserve the ocean and all living things on our beautiful blue planet, for our generation and the generations to come.”
Momoa also spoke about the importance of the ocean to him; he said: “For me, the ocean is an ancient teacher, a guide, and a muse. It is also existential. Without a healthy ocean, life on our planet as we know it would not exist.”
The Hawaii native was joined at the conference by his two children, Lola Iolani, 14, and Nakoa-Wolf, 13, and he posted a series of pictures on Instagram of himself in Lisbon with his kids by his side.
In his caption, the Hollywood actor wrote, “With great respect, admiration, and humility, I join the UN family and commit to the critically important work: to manage, protect and preserve the Ocean and all living creatures on our beautiful, BLUE planet.”
He also wrote about the responsibility we all have towards our children and grandchildren to look after the planet and about building “momentum for a future where humanity can once again live in harmony with nature.”
Momoa finished his post with a cute message for his kids: “papa loves you babies mahalo for standing by my side.”
Jason Momoa has long been engaged in environmental issues
Momoa has long been active in environmentalism, particularly relating to the ocean. In April, he rode a bike shirtless in spandex in an attempt to bring about awareness over the unnecessary use of plastics.
It’s a lot more serious than you might think; Aquaman’s war on plastic is part of his ongoing work with Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii and rePurpose, two organizations that work hard to keep our oceans clean.
The UNEP’s Executive Director, Inger Andersen, said she was “so pleased” to have the celebrity “joining the UN family” and spoke about his track record in working with the environment.
She added: “With a huge audience of engaged fans, we believe that Jason can move ocean considerations into the hearts and minds of citizens and business leaders to promote this urgency and action.”
Meanwhile, it seems Momoa will have plenty of time to work on cleaning up the oceans as he’s become single again. After a brief romance, Eiza Gonzalez and Momoa have gone their separate ways.