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).
2017
Read The Low Hanging Fish, a review of the 7 WTO proposals on fisheries subsidies – by The Varda Group & BLOOM
September 2017
- Support for the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) in preparation for the COP 23 climate conference
- Participation at WTO’s Public Forum in Geneva, including a session “The Low Hanging Fish: Will the WTO deliver on SDG Target 14.6?”, in partnership with BLOOM and ICTSD
- Speaker at ICTSD’s Fisheries Subsidies Knowledge-Sharing Seminar, in Geneva
July and August 2017
- Drafting and publication of The Low Hanging Fish, a review of the 7 WTO proposals on fisheries subsidies, in partnership with BLOOM
- Strategic support to the Lonxanet Foundation for sustainable fishing
- Preparations of COP23 Climate Conference activities for the Because the Ocean initiative
June 2017
- Communications and editing support for REN21’s Renewable Energy 2017 Global Status Report
- Participation in the UN Ocean Conference in New York, in partnership with BLOOM
- Organizing the conference Antarctica Today & Tomorrow in Paris, on behalf of the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition (ASOC) and in partnership with the Albert I Prince of Monaco Foundation and the Albert II of Monaco Foundation
