The idea seems like a good plan for the climate: polluters pay. The more CO2 emissions, the more expensive it is; This is the basic principle of emissions trading. However, from the very beginning, criticism has been made that there is a deception behind this. “#WTF” asks: Who really benefits?

EU emissions trading, the world’s largest emissions market, started in 2005. Its aim is to reduce climate-damaging greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide.

With emissions trading, the EU limits emissions from many industrial sectors. The idea: Polluters such as steel mills or chemical companies receive CO2 certificates with capped pollution rights, so to speak.

Anyone who pollutes more has to buy more certificates, which means they have to pay. Those who pollute less can sell their excess certificates. The aim is to create an incentive for industry to save emissions.

But if you look closely, you will find numerous faults in the system from the very beginning – “#WTF – Cash Cow Climate Protection?” errors in the documentation. Get to the bottom of it: Was emissions trading a sham from the beginning that primarily benefited industry and the climate less? Why can’t the EU make improvements that will create a transparent and fair model?

Biggest problem: The market is very unregulated and there is no government control. And there are always cases of fraud that anger the public, but still nothing changes.

“#WTF” – What is the Truth? – means sticking your finger into wounds. A ZDFinfo format full of detailed charts and surprising facts that gets to the bottom of connections and questions the obvious.