Totaleffekt

Totaleffekt, also known as Total-Effect, is a concept in additionality and environmental policy. In a general sense, it refers to the idea that emissions reductions under a particular policy or agreement not only apply to the polluters who are directly involved, but also have indirect effects on other parts of the economy or on the overall level of emissions activity. This can arise in various ways, such as by stimulating more emissions reductions activities beyond the ones directly addressed, or by influencing emissions levels elsewhere.

The base idea is that a policy or regulations inspired by totaleffekt should not be seen purely as a cost to one sector, but as a contribution to the larger benefits of emissions reductions, which provide broader socio-economic benefits. Proponents of totaleffekt argue that emissions reduction is a shared goal that moves beyond any single measure or policy, reaping several indirect effects from policies measures such as total emission reduction reflected in industry-specific and auxiliary sources.