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).
2015
October 2015
- Work with the IRENA communications team in Abu Dhabi in preparation for COP 21 in Paris
- Organization and facilitation of a Working Session on fisheries subsidies at the WTO Forum, Geneva, on behalf of the Global Ocean Commission
- Panel speaker at IDDRI’s conference “Implementing the Ocean Sustainable Development Goal“, in Paris
- Hosted a planning meeting of the Global Ocean Commission Secretariat
September 2015
- Communications advice and support to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)
- Coordination in New York of film production “SDG 14 – An Ocean Opportunity”
- Panel speaker at UNCTAD Ad Hoc Experts Meeting on Sustainable Fisheries, in Geneva
August 2015
- Speaker at media training workshop on Marine Conservation , organized by the Earth journalism Network and the Bertarelli Foundation, in Valparaiso, Chile
- Logistical scoping for UNFCCC COP21
July 2015
- Panelist at the conference on “Climate and Change and Ocean Heath”, organized in Paris by Le Monde Diplomatique and the Bertarelli Foundation, in Paris
