On July 8, 2010 at the UN’s headquarters in New York, actor and director Edward Norton was designated Goodwill Ambassador for Biodiversity by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon.

Norton, a committed social and environmental activist, is also a major financial supporter for various charitable causes. Last November Norton ran the NYC Marathon in 3h48 min along with three Maasai warriors and a team of 30 people, ultimately raising close to a million dollars for the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust.

In a statement to the press, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon applauded Norton’s long time involvement in sustainable development and conservation issues, “Edward Norton has brought global star power to global issues. His efforts to preserve biodiversity and promote ecosystem integrity in East Africa have been truly impressive.”

The UN and Norton hope to use Norton’s celebrity status to promote awareness on the impact of biodiversity loss. “Environmental conservation, climate change, biodiversity are very much the issues that will define my generation,” stated Norton. Norton hopes to use his new role to inspire young people to take up the challenge of environmental protection as he believes people do not relate as well to the issue of biodiversity loss compared to issues with a human component. “(People) don’t necessarily link themselves as directly to a crisis like biodiversity loss, as much as they will to say a refugee crisis. But I think catastrophic events, such as what is happening in the Gulf with the oil spill, do highlight for people that there is an enormous ramification for human well-being to a loss of biodiversity like a fishery,” stated Norton.

Norton’s appointment marks the UN’s 2010 International Year of Biodiversity, “a celebration of life on earth and of the value of biodiversity for our lives.”

In September, the UN will hold a General Assembly, gathering 192 heads of state — its first high-level session focusing on biodiversity. Norton hopes leaders will present “compelling examples” of solutions to biodiversity loss that can be translated into concrete government policies.