SINGAPORE (Reuters) - A landmark forest protection ruling by Indonesia might be good for investors trying to save carbon-rich forests, but only if a ban is enforced and progress is made in using the market to save the environment.

Tropical forests across Latin America, Africa, and Southeast Asia stored 247 gigatons of carbon — more than 30 years' worth of current emissions from fossil fuels use — in the early 2000s, according to a comprehensive assessment of the world's carbon stocks.

31 May 2011: The Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) has released its annual report, titled "Focus on Forests: Time to Act," which includes eight stories outlining CIFOR's global work.