JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — One of the world's largest paper companies, Asia Pulp & Paper Group, has pledged to stop its suppliers from cutting down natural forests in Indonesia, a move it hopes will help preserve the threatened habitats of rare animals such as orangutans and Sumatran tigers while helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions released from carbon-rich peatland.

The Indonesian company worked with environmental groups Greenpeace and the Forest Trust to forge the plan announced Tuesday, which went into effect Feb. 1. It relies solely on farmed trees grown on plantations and also includes monitoring by outside groups to ensure transparency.

The world's third-largest paper-producing company had been pressured by environmental groups to change its practices, including cutting down forests to make way for plantations.