This Project aims to develop a multi-stage Zero CO2e Emission (ZE) Certification System (CS) to standardize European Zero CO2e Emission communities. & officially acknowledge them. Certificate's ambition is to systematically encourage & lead communities towards realising full renewable energy & energy efficiency potentials & towards continuously implementing cross-sector masterplans reinforced by green business financing & carbon revenue models. Even located in the wealthiest European region. NWE communities striving for CO2e cuts beyond regular compliance. lack knowledge in operational structures & alternative financial instruments to implement their CO2e abatement projects. commitment. inter-regional & international cooperation. ZE Certificate is unique by challenging these barriers by 4 approaches: 1) Holistic – standardised requirements jointly set to various stakeholder groups & sectors; 2) Pragmatic – communities ZE masterplans based on practical business plans; 3) Multi-stage – Step-by-step awarding ("Beginner". "Advanced". actual "Zero CO2e Emission"). to make long-term process towards CO2e neutrality manageable & to greatly contribute to overall CO2e cuts by bringing high number of worst performing communities to the average level; 4) Credible – ZE CSs GHG abatement calculation based on approved UNFCCC methodologies/IPCC guidelines for giving communities strategic advantage to make a step further towards participating in global emission trading scheme to co-finance the implementation of ZE masterplans. Project will 1) DEVELOP certification methodology & test CS in 4 NWE countries. 2) ASSIST communities to spin green investments by investigating innovative financial models (incl. Carbon Trade). 3) TEST ZE Certificate in 8 partner communities & base its development on their practical data; 4) EVALUATE & through policy counselling STRATEGICALLY ESTABLISH the Zero CO2e Emission Certificate at local. national & EU levels. Achievements: The ZECOS project was officially completed on 30.04.2015.The most interesting result achieved during the lifetime of the project is the development of a greenhouse gas (GHG) management system named Zero Emission Management System (ZEMS) applicable by each kind of community in the EU, delivering a sound planning basis for reducing GHG emissions continuously and helping larger jurisdiction to comply with GHG mitigation targets set by themselves or as a result of international negotiations. The current status of ZEMS is prototypical. The consortium intends to further develop this management system in a second stage (expected November 2015) to reach commercial viability. The transnational cooperation was crucial and necessary in the project: The boundary conditions for communities are quite different from member state to member state. Thus a NWE-wide harmonised approach could only be achieved by intensive transnational cooperation and by exchanging the national views even on topics which seem to be clear at the beginning of the project.For your further information, please see the following documents (http://www.zecos.eu/results-downloads/):• General introduction on ZECOS• Zero Emission Management System• The Zero Emission Concepts of the partner communities• Investment profiles of the partner communities• ZECOS Carbon Trading Options for Communities• Comparison of Management Systems• Confirmation of GPC attendance - coming soon• Joint report on Green financing schemes• ZECOS Policy recommendations• Zero Emission Statements of Partner Communities