The Varda Group was established in 2003 by Kelly Rigg and Rémi Parmentier. We now have operations in the Netherlands, Spain, and the UK and we work with an extensive network of freelance collaborators. We’ve campaigned to protect the deep sea, sharks and tuna, the climate, health from smoking and on many other issues.
Welcome to The Varda Group
The Varda Group provides strategic advice and campaign expertise and coordination services across a wide range of international environmental and social issues. The Varda Group consists of Varda BV (The Netherlands), Varda Desarrollo Sostenible SL (Spain), and Varda Ltd (UK). In addition, The Varda Foundation (Stichting Varda) is a not-for-profit organisation that has the capacity to carry out charitable projects. The Varda Group was established in 2003 by Rémi Parmentier, Kelly Rigg, and Elaine Lawrence who have been leading campaigns for over 30 years on oceans, climate, disarmament, human health and many other issues. Our specialties include:
- Campaign coordination and leadership
- Political campaigning and advocacy
- Strategic planning
- Project design and management
- Campaign and organizational evaluation
- Meeting facilitation
- Communications strategy design
- Event organization
- Campaign training
Varda staff are fluent in English, French and Spanish (and to a lesser extent Dutch and Portuguese).
2018
February 2018
- Scoping study for the Shark Conservation Fund on campaigning opportunities in specific regional fisheries management organizations.
- Panellist at the conference on Ocean and OverSeas territories at the French National Centre on Space Studies, Paris.
January 2018
- Support to BLOOM in their campaign against electric fishing at the European Parliament
- Strategic scoping for the High Seas Alliance
- Panelist at IDDRI’s public conference “International Negotiations to save biodiveristy: Renewing the Futures?”
2017
December 2017
- Running The Low Hanging Fish campaign with BLOOM at the 11th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO)
- Facilitation of the strategic planning meeting for organisations working to designate marine protected areas in the Southern Ocean
- Facilitation of the strategic planning meeting of the High Seas Alliance, in Washington DC
- Keynote speech at opening plenary of the first Conference of Defence, Security & Environment Ministers from Ecuador, Panama and Costa Rica set to establish regional cooperation mechanisms for environmental & ocean security, in San José, Costa Rica.
November 2017
- Coordination and communications support to International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) special events at COP23 Bonn
- Strategic support, coordination and organization of “Towards Ocean-Related NDCs” workshop and working dinner, for the Because the Ocean initiative at COP23 Bonn
- Facilitating of the Break Free From Plastic‘s Steering Committee meeting, Brussels
