The project accompanied the development of the EU emission trading system (ETS) with regard to the third trading period which started 2013, containing major changes such as new allocation rules and the inclusion of aviation. Furthermore, the CCS directive and limiting the energy demand in the housing sector were part of the project. Ecologic Institute provided economic and legal analyses for the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety in the development and implementation of new concepts and legislation.

Emissions trading covers about 50% of all German greenhouse gas emissions and is one of the main climate protection instruments in Germany and the EU. The objective of the ETS is to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions efficiently. The EU established the ETS in the first trading period 2005 to 2007 and adopted major amendments of the emissions trading directive in 2009. The project provided expertise and developed options regarding the implementation of the EU-directives into national law as well as measures to be implemented through the comitology procedure at EU level. In addition, the project also developed proposals for the further development of German energy regulation with a view to achieving the climate objectives. This included legal and economic analyses and support in respect of the inclusion of the aviation sector, free allocation and auctioning, monitoring and reporting and measures to support carbon leakage sectors, but also the regulatory framework for energy saving measures in the housing sector and carbon dioxide capture, transport and storage (CCS).