The most common argument for introducing and maintaining energy subsidies is that they support important domestic policy objectives, such as rural and industrial development, job creation, improved energy access, energy security and independence, and poverty alleviation. Analysis shows that energy subsidies tend to accrue not to those with the lowest income, but rather to the largest and most economically powerful recipients, thus increasing profits for well-connected investors or industries. By encouraging use of fossil fuels and discouraging production of low-carbon fuels, energy subsidies can lead to increased emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions.