Photo by Anne NygardBioenergy Europe is the voice of European bioenergy, bringing together associations, companies, researchers, and academics from across the continent. Their mission is to ensure that sustainable bioenergy remains a central pillar of Europe’s carbon-neutral future by unlocking the potential of materials that would otherwise go unused.
Bioenergy refers to renewable energy made from organic materials, such as plants, wood, and agricultural byproducts, and can be used to generate heat, electricity, or fuel. It’s often seen as a way to reduce reliance on fossil fuels while making use of materials that might otherwise go to waste.
For the team behind “Dear Future MEP,” receiving the ESAE Award for Digital Communication felt especially meaningful.
“This recognition means a lot to us—it feels great to see our work acknowledged, especially as communication is such a key part of effective advocacy,” said Luca Oggianu, Communications Director at Bioenergy Europe. “That said, we might have made our lives harder… now that we’ve raised the bar, our members will probably expect us to win a prize every year!”
A Fresh Take on Policy Communication
“Dear Future MEP” was launched ahead of the 2024 European elections, combining strategic timing with a personal touch.
As Oggianu explained, the team wanted to explore new languages—or better said, bring the codes of social media into Brussels’ often formal policy communication.
That meant stepping away from the usual tone of institutional advocacy. The project was part of a year-long campaign promoting Bioenergy Europe’s manifesto. It embraced humour and self-awareness by featuring the association’s own Policy team. That way, the new Members of the European Parliament (MEP) would recognise them during the first plenary.
The result was a more human, engaging way to speak directly to incoming MEPs and highlight the issues they care about most.
“We put faces to our messages by featuring our colleagues and used light-hearted storytelling to cut through the noise of the election season,” Oggianu said. “And honestly, we had a lot of fun doing it, which made the campaign even more impactful.”
The project ultimately garnered over one million impressions through a multi-pronged strategy that included press releases, op-eds in Brussels-based media, more than 60 organic social posts, and eight promoted activations across LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and X. There were also paid campaigns during key political moments like the May 2024 elections and the arrival of new MEPs.
This helped extend reach, including thousands of professionals within EU institutions and over 10,000 site visits.
Measuring Impact in Policy Communication
In the world of trade associations, success isn’t always easy to quantify.
“We don’t sell products, so it’s often difficult to measure the impact of a communication campaign—or even to know right away if it aligns with the broader goals,” Oggianu explained. “Sometimes, you need to take a calculated risk.”
For Bioenergy Europe, that risk paid off. While the campaign brought visibility, it also delivered something deeper: clarity on the issues that matter most.
As Oggianu noted, the team successfully conveyed three key messages:
- The urgent need to modernise Europe’s heating stock.
Bioenergy Europe continues to advocate for the replacement of outdated heating systems. They promote investments in more efficient, renewable-compatible technologies as essential steps toward improving both energy performance and energy security. - The importance of phasing out fossil fuels.
With fossil fuels still supplying the majority of EU energy, the association supports a clear exit strategy, calling for the end of subsidies, stronger emissions standards, and national timelines for phase-out measures. - The potential of carbon-negative solutions like BECCS.
Short for Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage, BECCS refers to technologies that capture CO₂ from bioenergy production and store it underground. Bioenergy Europe sees these solutions as a key tool for offsetting unavoidable emissions and contributing to long-term climate goals.
Beyond the numbers, “Dear Future MEP” marked a shift in how Bioenergy Europe communicates.
“This campaign reflects our wider ambition to reshape Bioenergy Europe’s communication into something more assertive, inclusive, and proactive,” said Oggianu.
What’s Next for Bioenergy Europe
Following the success of “Dear Future MEP,” Bioenergy Europe is turning its attention to one of its oldest running initiatives: the Bioenergy Days campaign. The goal is to make bioenergy stories more visible, relatable, and rooted in people’s everyday lives, whether through rural innovation or school heating projects.
That effort reflects a broader communication trend and a new reality many associations are navigating.
As AI-powered content is projected to grow at an estimated 30% annually across Europe, associations face a new challenge of how to remain personal in an increasingly automated space. While AI can streamline production, it’s emotional nuance, relevance, and context that drive connection.
Bioenergy Europe’s strategy reminds us that these strengths, original ideas, empathy, and lived experience are still uniquely human.
“This is part of a wider team effort to make bioenergy-related topics more friendly and accessible,” said Oggianu. “We believe that with facts, organic stories, and engaging formats, this can be a reality.”
Explore Bioenergy Europe’s manifesto and “Dear Future MEP” campaign here.