The UN wants to cut carbon emissions by paying poorer countries to preserve their forests in a scheme called Reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation (Redd).

Around 20% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions are estimated to come from global annual deforestation, which often takes place in the most biodiverse regions of the world, such as Brazil and Indonesia.

The fastest rate of deforestation in Indonesia is occurring in central Sumatra's Riau province, where some 4.2m hectares (65%) of its tropical forests and peat swamps have been cleared for industrial plantations in the past 25 years

Sumatran rainforest, 1986: The fastest rate of deforestation in Indonesia is occurring in central Sumatra’s Riau province, where some 4.2m hectares (65%) of its tropical forests and peat swamps have been cleared for industrial plantations in the past 25 years. Under the Reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation (Redd) scheme $30bn a year could be transferred from rich countries to the owners of endangered forests. But experts on all sides of the debate - from international police to politicians to conservationists - warned that the scheme may be impossible to monitor and may already be leading to fraud

This aerial photo taken by Greenpeace shows man-made forest fires in a company concession located in the Giam Siak Kecil area in Sumatra’s western Riau province. The area is being cleared for palm oil plantations. Some environmentalists have called the process unworkable and dangerous. While Indonesia has been the first country to formally introduce Redd pilot programmes, it is still laying plans to clear vast tracts of forests for timber, paper and palm oil, experts have said
Photograph: John Novis/greenpeace/AFP

A worker runs through a burning forest in Pelalawan, in Indonesia’s Riau province, in October 2006. Thick smoke from bush and forest fires in Indonesia has forced schools to close and brought misery to residents. Neighbouring Malaysia and Singapore have complained that the smoke from Indonesia has affected air quality in their regions. The average annual CO2 from forest loss, degradation, peat decomposition and fires between 1990-2007 in Riau province was 0.22 gigatonnes – higher than that of the Netherlands and equivalent to 58% of Australia’s total annual emissions, or 39% of the UK’s annual emissions, according to a WWF report
Photograph: Beawiharta/Reuters

A motorcyclist passes through the haze in Pelalawan, Sumatra, in 2006, when forest fires were raging across Indonesia. Visibility was reduced to as low as 30 metres (100ft) in parts of Borneo island, forcing cars to use headlights during the day and causing chaos for air travel. The demand for palm oil, which is fuelling much of the forest clearance and resultant pollution in Sumatra, has risen in recent years to meet a global demand for biofuels
Photograph: Beawiharta/Reuters

Firefighters search for fires in the Penarikan swamp area in Pelalawan, Riau province, in October 2006. Around 20% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions are estimated to come from global annual deforestation, which often takes place in the most biodiverse regions of the world, such as Brazil and Indonesia
Photograph: Beawiharta/Reuters