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).
2019
June 2019
- Guest Article on IISD SDG Knowledge Hub: WTO Fisheries Negotiations: Failure is not an Option.
- Panelist at the WTO-RSIS Asia-Pacific Parliamentarians workshop in Singapore.
- Presentation on behalf of the Because the Ocean initiative secretariat at the meeting of the Friends of the Ocean and Climate hosted by Sweden, Chile and Fiji at the Bonn Climate Conference.
- Drafting and publishing the reports of the Before the Blue COP workshops, on behalf of the Because the Ocean initiative.
May 2019
- Organization and facilitation of the Pacific edition of the Before the Blue COP workshops series in Suva, Fiji, on behalf of the Because the Ocean Initiative.
- Organizational support and co-facilitation of the Climate & Ocean Negotiators Symposium in Suva, Fiji, at the request of the Ministry of Economy of Fiji.
April 2019
- Organizing and facilitating the international conference and workshop Before the Blue COP in Madrid, on behalf of the Because the Ocean Initiative. [Click here to download 7 pages Pdf report]
March 2019
- Facilitation of the strategic planning retreat of the senior management of Climate Analytics.
- Scoping and presentation for the Friends of Ocean Action.
- Guest speaker at the launch of the book “Greenpeace-France Une Histoire d’Engagements“.
February 2019
- Strategic advice to the Friends of Ocean Action for The Economist Ocean Summit.
- Panelist at the conference Towards an Inclusive Blue Economy organized by the International Institute on Environment and Development (IIED).
- Panelist at the international Conference on Climate Change and the Preservation of the Ocean organized and hosted by the Belgian Government.
