Los Angeles: Leonardo DiCaprio has praised teenage climate change activist Greta Thunberg as a "leader of our time" following their first meeting.

DiCaprio, one of Hollywood's leading stars and a prominent environmental campaigner, said 16-year-old Ms Thunberg's message should be a "wake-up call to world leaders everywhere that the time for inaction is over".

The Academy Award-winner shared a picture of him and the Swedish student on Instagram, writing: "There are few times in human history where voices are amplified at such pivotal moments and in such transformational ways -but @GretaThunberg has become a leader of our time.

"History will judge us for what we do today to help guarantee that future generations can enjoy the same livable planet that we have so clearly taken for granted.