The Chicago Cliimate Exchange is a business. Plain and simple. The profits go to the investors and shareholders.
From their website:

Climate Exchange plc (CLE) is a company listed on the AIM section of the London Stock Exchange. The CLE group is principally engaged in owning, operating and developing exchanges to facilitate trading in environmental financial instruments, including emissions reduction credits, designed to support and lower the economic costs of achieving environmental objectives.

Climate Exchange plc has three core operating businesses: European Climate Exchange (ECX) which operates an exchange that focuses on compliance certificates for mandatory European Emissions Trading Scheme ("EU ETS"), Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX ) which operates the world’s first voluntary, but contractually binding cap and trade system for greenhouse gas emissions reductions and Chicago Climate Futures Exchange (CCFE), a regulated exchange in the U.S. with a growing portfolio of environmental futures contracts.

In addition, Climate Exchange plc is also investing in new product development such as IFEX and in other geographic regions including:

China
Canada
Australia

http://www.climateexchangeplc.com/

Do a little reading on your own and follow the money of this business.