LETS currency promotes local trade, increasing local production, local control of enterprise, in contrast to the more internationalised economics.
Localised economies can be 'ecological exporters' through example and economic influence.
The cost of many environmentally damaging projects are often paid for by host communities while the profits are exported to benefit those that provided the development capital. Because many rural regeneration projects require a large component of labour intensive work most farmers are unable to pay labour to regenerate land and LETS has provided one way this can be remedied. The proposal of smaller economies is open to some criticism. Proponents of the benefits of economies of scale would argue that small enterprise is less economically efficient and would lead to greater resource usage. The tyranny of many small decisions that are disconnected has led to much of the environmental destruction we have witnessed.