Felix Dengler

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Felix Dengler

Ass. iur.

Researcher
Data Protection Officer

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Felix Dengler is a researcher and data protection officer at Ecologic Institute. As a fully qualified lawyer, he provides legal support to various projects at European and national level. His work focuses on nature conservation, climate change adaptation and energy law. He is fluent in German and English and has basic knowledge of French and Spanish.

Felix Dengler is advising the German Federal Environmental Agency (UBA) and the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV) on the revision of the German Soil Protection Act (Bundesbodenschutzgesetz), in particular on issues related to nature conservation compensation and permitting requirements. The project includes the drafting of a comprehensively updated Federal Soil Protection Act with concrete formulation proposals. On behalf of the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN), Felix Dengler is analyzing the legal framework for the rewetting of peatlands in the MoorNet project and is giving lectures on this topic at various specialist events. A particular focus of this work is species protection law, while spatial planning and water law also play a role. He advises the European Commission (DG ENV) on the evaluation and revision of the Nitrates Directive, in particular on monitoring and reporting obligations.

For the project Climate Adaptation Naturally!, he contributed to an interim report on the legal framework for the promotion of nature-based solutions in municipalities. A key aspect of this work was the Federal Climate Adaptation Act (KAnG) as well as the climate protection and climate adaptation laws of the federal states. In addition, he is supporting the development of a practical handbook on Water Stewardship in German Agriculture for WWF Germany.

Felix Dengler also provides legal policy advice in the energy sector. For example, he advised the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMWK) on the possible introduction of an industrial electricity price. For the European Climate Foundation (ECF), he analysed and evaluated the implementation of selected provisions of EU energy law in several member states

Before joining Ecologic Institute, Felix Dengler completed his legal traineeship at the Higher Regional Court of Cologne, with internships at the European Commission's Directorate-General for Climate Action and at law firms specializing in energy and environmental law in Cologne and Frankfurt am Main. After his first state examination, he worked for a legal tech company in the field of consumer protection in Berlin.

He studied law in Heidelberg and Cologne, specializing in intellectual property and competition law.

In addition to his work at Ecologic Institute, Felix Dengler volunteers for Lawyers for Future, the Environmental Law Information Service (IDUR) and Roots – The Environmental Law Clinic.

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Recent content by Felix Dengler

Publication:Policy Brief
 
Cover page of the report titled 'Empfehlungen für die Umsetzung eines nachhaltigen und gesellschaftlich akzeptierten Unterbodenmanagements in Deutschland' (Recommendations for the Implementation of a Sustainable and Socially Accepted Subsoil Management in Germany). Key recommendations are listed, focusing on political frameworks, value chains, collaboration with practitioners, legal clarity, and further research support.
This policy brief outlines recommendations for sustainable and socially accepted subsoil management in Germany. Subsoil, located below the plowed topsoil layer, holds essential nutrients and water reserves crucial for plant growth and sustainable bioeconomy practices. The Soil³ project (2015–2025) investigated methods to enhance subsoil usage, focusing on increasing plant root access to this layer without compromising its ecological functions.

Empfehlungen für die Umsetzung eines nachhaltigen und gesellschaftlich akzeptierten Unterbodenmanagements in Deutschland

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Digital technologies have the potential to close economic loops, reduce CO2-emissions and increase resource efficiency. However, the possibilities of digitalisation for shaping a comprehensive circular economy are far from exhausted. This research project investigates how digital solutions can support consumers in aligning their consumption with sustainable and circular criteria.

Conceptualising and Planning Digital Solutions to Promote Sustainable Consumption for a Circular Economy

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Project
 
Ecologic Institute supports the Federal Ministry for the Environment (BMUV) in preparing the ratification of the so-called BBNJ Agreement and the related German implementing laws. The BBNJ Agreement of June 2023 is a UN treaty and the first multilateral legal framework for the protection of biodiversity on the high seas. Ecologic Institute identifies the obligations for Germany and which of them require new legislation, and drafts legal proposals for implementing provisions.

Implementing Legislation for the BBNJ Agreement

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Project
 
Oeko-Institut and Ecologic Institute are jointly supporting the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (Bundesamt für Naturschutz – BfN) in the necessary further development of environmental legislation at federal level in line with the objectives of the new NBS 2030 and the EU-BDS. The aim of this project is to identify existing deficits in national biodiversity protection and to develop proposals for improvement.

Legal Options for Biodiversity Protection

Implementation of the National Strategy on Biodiversity 2030 (NBS 2030)

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Publication:Report
 
Cover of Ecologic institute's report "Analysis of the implementation of EU provisions for the clean energy transition in selected Member States"
This report assesses the implementation status and quality of a selection of 11 provisions from 4 EU laws in 6 EU countries (Austria, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Poland and Spain). These 4 EU laws are Directive (EU) 2019/944 on common rules for the internal market for electricity (DIR), Regulation (EU) 2019/943 on the internal market for electricity (REG), Directive (EU) 2018/2001 on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable resources (RED) and Regulation (EU) 2022/2577 laying down a framework to accelerate the deployment of renewable energy (ACC).

Analysis of the Implementation of EU Provisions for the Clean Energy Transition in Selected Member States

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The German agriculture sector faces significant climate-related challenges due to extreme weather events along with shifts in temperature patterns, impacting crop yields and biodiversity and exacerbating water scarcity and water quality deterioration. The Panda Fördergesellschaft (on behalf of WWF) is commissioning Ecologic Institute to create a handbook, "Water Stewardship in German Agriculture," aiming to offer practical solutions to enhance water retention, quality, and biodiversity. The handbook will include an overview of Germany's water situation, legal framework, specific measures with contextualised examples, and ways to promote collective action.

Water Stewardship in der deutschen Landwirtschaft

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Publication:Report
 
Cover of a publication titled 'Restrictions on the Use of Photovoltaic Electricity in Buildings'. The image shows solar panels on a balcony with lush plants in the background and a city skyline in the distance. In the top right corner is the logo of the Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development next to the title. The names of the authors are listed below: Katharina Umpfenbach, Lina-Marie Dück, Tobias Kelm, Felix Dengler, Ricarda Faber, and Michael Jakob.
To achieve the ambitious climate targets of the Federal Climate Change Act a rapid expansion of renewable energies, particularly wind and photovoltaics (PV), is crucial. In this context, achieving 215 GW of installed PV capacity by 2030 has become a specific target of the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG). This report deals with the central role that buildings play in meeting PV expansion targets, with the potential to cover up to 25% of EU electricity consumption through rooftop PV.

Restriktionen bei der Nutzung von Photovoltaik-Strom im Gebäudebereich

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Project
 
In a project for the European Climate Foundation (ECF), Ecologic Institute assesses the implementation status and the quality of the national implementing measures of selected provisions of these EU laws in six Member States. Ecologic Institute conducts country fiches on Austria, Bulgaria, France, Germany and Spain, while Reform Institute conducts a country fiche on Poland. The project aims at getting a picture of the challenges of a timely and adequate implementation, also with a view to the recent amendments of the EU legislation within the "Fit for 55" package.

Analysis of the Implementation of EU Provisions for the Clean Energy Transition in Selected Member States

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