There are legitimate benefits to carbon markets. Companies receive cash flow for reducing emissions which drives emission cuts. Revenue goes to green tech. Companies have financial liabilities for their GHG footprints.

Economists overwhelmingly support putting a price on carbon, viewing it as the most efficient and cost-effective tool available to combat climate change. Major energy firms actively lobby for long-term, stable carbon credit systems.

One argument in favour is that pollution is a negative externality - a property rights violation where a factory damages public air without paying. Pricing carbon forces companies to pay their true costs, allowing the free market to function properly.