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).
2021
March 2021
- Blue Food for Thought, an essay hosted by the Monaco Ocean Week.
- Member of the Advisory Council for the Barcelona ReACT conference.
- Initiator and liaison with WTO Secretariat for the Stop Funding Overfishing welcome performance on the new WTO DG’s inauguration day.
February 2021
- Initiator of the Stop Funding Overfishing coalition performance and liaison with the WTO Secretariat on the inauguration of WTO Director General Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
- Lecturer at TBA21’s Ocean/Uni Spring Semester
- Representation on behalf of the Ocean & Climate Platform’s SEAties project
January 2021
- Guest speaker at the High-Level Session of the Ocean-Climate Ambition Summit, on behalf of the Because the Ocean Initiative
- Organizational review of the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition (DSCC)
2020
December 2020
- Roundtable facilitation for the High-Level segment of the EU International Ocean Governance Forum
- Planning for the Friends of Ocean Action’s response to WTO negotiations development
November 2020
- Strategic support for the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)
- Advice and support to the Shark League for the Atlantic and Mediterranean
- Representations on behalf of Friends of Ocean Action
- Preparation and evaluation of the global Greenpeace Executive Directors Meeting
- Review of the logistical and outreach function of Greenpeace UK
October 2020
- Stakeholders outreach and special event on behalf of the Thyssen-Bornemisza Contemporary Art Academy (TBA21) at How to Tread Lightly, an exhibition on display at the Thyssen Museum, Madrid
- Advising the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) in relation to the Sustainable Energy Jobs Platform
- Advice and representation on behalf of Antarctica 2020 and ASOC
- Communications support on behalf of Friends of Ocean Action with the Environmental Justice Foundation
September 2020
- Jury member for REvolutionaries, Clean Energy Award in Africa, the Steve Sawyer Memorial Award established by the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), honouring the legacy of Varda Group co-founder Steve Sawyer who passed away last year
- Secretariat of the Because the Ocean Initiative
- Guest speaker at Casa SEAT, Barcelona: From Climate Change to Ocean Change
