'Our future is being gambled away' Leonardo DiCaprio at Global Citizen Festival

Actor Leonardo DiCaprio was just one of many stars on Saturday (September 28) to raise his voice to call on world leaders and citizens to address global issues that keep people in poverty and threaten the environment.

"Our future is being gambled away and our leaders those whom we entrust to protect us and set the example are either failing to stop these dangerous trends or in some cases denying the very science of this climate catastrophe," DiCaprio told crowds in New York's Central Park for the annual Global Citizens Festival.

"Unless you live in an alternate reality there is no more time for denial. A carbon-neutral future is the only way we will inherit a planet capable of sustaining life on Earth as we know it," he added.

The festival - now in its eighth year - is an hour-long celebration, which featured performances from Queen + Adam Lambert, Pharrell Williams, Alicia Keys, H.E.R., Carole King, and pop band NCT 127, and speeches from thought leaders and celebrities aimed at implementing the Sustainable Development Goals and ending poverty by 2030.

According to organizers, the movement has garnered $48.5 billion in commitments and policy announcements, affecting 880 million people living in extreme poverty.

"Six years ago there were 400,000 global citizens. This month there were 25 million active citizens taking action," said actor Hugh Jackman.

"The next goal in the next few years is going to be 100 million. And once you get to have that big a movement, there's not a leader of a business or of a country anywhere on the planet who's not going to listen to you."