PERC is a 501(c)(3) non-profit research and educational institute dedicated to improving environmental quality through markets. PERC's activities encompass three general categories: policy analysis and research, outreach (especially to policymakers and journalists), and environmental education for students and teachers.
PERC pioneered the approach known as free market environmentalism based on the following tenets:
-Private property rights encourage stewardship of resources.
-Government subsidies often degrade the environment.
-Market incentives spur individual initiative to conserve resources and protect environmental quality.
-Liability for pollution holds polluters responsible for harms they cause others.