Interpol has warned that organized crime will target a United Nations scheme to cut carbon emissions by paying poorer countries to preserve forests. These projects are called Reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation (Redd) schemes.

An investigation by The Guardian has found that these schemes are impossible to monitor and because they are happening in poor countries, they will be easy picking for organized crime. Peter Younger, Interpol environment crimes specialist has warned: "Alarm bells are ringing. It is simply too big to monitor. The potential for criminality is vast and has not been taken into account by the people who set it up.

"Organized crime syndicates are eyeing the nascent forest carbon market."

So what sort of fraud would it be? The most obvious would be claiming credits for forests that don't exist. There could also be land grabs, bribery of officials and intimidation of villagers.

The point is that the carbon trading market transcends borders which will make it impossible to control.

The only way to stop it will be for organizations like the World Bank and United Nations bringing in rules and procedures to stop it.