An Ocean Giant Passes – Salute from OceanCare to Rémi Parmentier

Rémi Parmentier spent around five decades in the environmental movement, beginning in 1974 with Friends of the Earth in France. He was also a founding member of Greenpeace International, including being a campaign leader and crew member of the legendary Rainbow Warrior in the 1970s and 80s, standing between the harpoons and the whales. An action that inspired a generation of environmentalists. He later became Greenpeace’s International Policy Director, a key role in the organisation.

In 2002, Rémi moved on to form the Varda Group, with some other leading environmentalists. Here, he developed projects and campaigns on behalf of a variety of partners and clients and related to issues including ocean governance and marine policy, whale conservation, anti-corruption, human dignity and more. He participated in countless meetings of international treaties and conventions, sometimes serving on national delegations, and always tirelessly advocating for effective and lasting climate and ocean action and effective conservation measures.

Alongside many other achievements, Rémi was the primary architect of the worldwide prohibition on the dumping at sea of nuclear and industrial wastes, a campaign that he ran over fifteen years during his time at Greenpeace.

Rémi was always a passionate advocate for the ocean.

Recently, OceanCare worked closely with Rémi and his team in the context of the Third United Nations Conference on the Oceans as they were coordinating the ‘Let’s be Nice to the Ocean’ initiative involving more than 100 national, regional and international stakeholders. At heart of campaign, Rémi proposed and promoted a pioneering and innovative approach: the need to go beyond the precautionary principle and create a binding legal framework to establish the principle of protection, making it the norm rather than the exception.

This most recent example of spearheading the “Protection Principle” illustrates Rémi’s lasting impact as what he started resonates. He inspired people, but especially also decision-makers basically within all stakeholder groups, thinking outside the box, challenging the status quo, breaking up boundaries.

Those of us who worked with him learned a great deal from his extensive experience as a campaign strategist and his ability to negotiate with political leaders.

Rémi worked with passion, zeal and integrity. His humour and youthful drive were unique and his greater-than-life personality unforgettable. He was a leader in our movement, a force to be reckoned with and a good friend and mentor to many other advocates.

The OceanCare Team is mourning the loss of an ocean campaigner, specialist, activist and visionary and we are dedicated to take forward what has been started.

Thank you, Rémi, for working so hard and so successfully to protect the environment, seas and oceans, thanks for being such an inspiration.

More about Remi Parmentier and a book of condolences can be found on the webpages of the Varda Group.