03.09.2025
The Energy Club’s training course, “Communications and Interaction in Energy: Strategies for PR, Marketing, GR, and Lobbying in Ukraine,” has enhanced the professional competence of its participants. They received knowledge and tools from leading expert lecturers for effective work in Ukraine’s dynamic energy sector.
Renata Iaresko—founder and director of the consulting and communication agency CommsTrue; a business consultant on strategic communications, risk management, and sustainable development; a PhD in Economics; a member of the ESG Liga expert council, and an expert with 8 years of experience in PR, communications, and personal brand development—spoke during her lectures about stakeholder maps and crisis communications in the energy sector, ESG communications and sustainable development, and communication support for innovative and infrastructure projects.
Successful communication in the energy sector requires long-term strategic vision and an understanding of the interests of all parties. The expert emphasized that today it is particularly important to correctly communicate projects that will define the future of Ukrainian energy.
Renata Iaresko shared with the students her own original methods and practical case studies on working with the government, ministries, and regulatory bodies. What were the lecturer’s own impressions of the course? Renata Iaresko shared this in an interview with the Energy Club’s media department.
— What are your impressions of the course “Communications and Interaction in Energy: Strategies for PR, Marketing, GR, and Lobbying in Ukraine” and the audience?
— This course is unique because it brought together a wide range of experts and provided a comprehensive view of communications in the energy sector. We didn’t just talk about PR in isolation, but looked at how it intertwines with GR, marketing, and project support. This is a systemic approach that is critically needed in the market. The audience was very strong and engaged, which indicates that the topic is relevant and there is a great demand for such knowledge. It was a pleasure to work with professionals who are eager to learn and grow.
— Your lectures covered a whole range of topics – from stakeholder analysis and ESG to crisis communications and project support. Why is it important for a modern specialist in the energy sector to understand all these components as a whole, rather than separately, and how did the course help to form this systemic vision?
— My topics are interconnected, and I tried to convey that communication is not a set of separate actions, but an integrated system. For example, you can’t build effective crisis communications without first identifying your stakeholders and their interests. You can’t talk about ESG without being prepared for reputational crises. And you can’t provide communication support for a project without considering its social and environmental impact. The course provided an opportunity to see these connections and to form a holistic understanding of how to build a company’s communication strategy.
— Crisis communications is an extremely relevant topic for the energy sector. What is the main practical lesson that you hope the course participants took away from your lecture, so that they can not just react to a crisis, but manage it, preserving the most valuable asset – trust?
— Trust is the most valuable asset of any company, and it is easiest to lose it during a crisis. The main lesson is that you need to prepare for a crisis in advance. This means having a clear plan, a trained team, and established communication channels with stakeholders. During a crisis, it is important to be proactive, honest, and open. You need to provide information quickly and clearly, even if it is not very pleasant. Silence or attempts to hide the truth will only worsen the situation. I hope that the participants understood that crisis communication is not about extinguishing a fire, but about preventing it from starting.
— ESG is becoming an increasingly important topic, especially in the context of Ukraine’s recovery. What are the main challenges and opportunities in ESG communications that you see for the Ukrainian energy sector, and what knowledge gained in the course will help specialists to be ready for this future?
— In the context of recovery and European integration, ESG is no longer a “nice-to-have” option, but a mandatory requirement. The main challenge is to move from formal reporting to real, transparent communication about a company’s impact on the environment and society. And this is also a huge opportunity. Companies that can build an effective ESG strategy will gain access to international capital, strengthen their reputation, and increase their capitalization.
During the course, the participants received a systemic understanding of ESG in the context of the energy sector, tools for building transparent and understandable communication, and methods for integrating ESG into stakeholder engagement strategies and crisis algorithms. In addition, I have repeatedly drawn attention to the fact that ESG communication is primarily about communicating complex things in an accessible language. After all, the terminology in the energy sector is complex, and there are many interdependent processes—from production to the impact on the environment. All of this is difficult for ordinary citizens to understand, and therefore it is necessary to communicate by explaining the impact of the company’s activities on their lives. And here, trust is built on openness—where an energy company proves with its words and actions that there is no negative impact and no threat to life and the environment. This approach allows specialists not just to react to challenges, but to confidently plan and implement communication that supports the sustainability and development of projects in the long term.
— And finally, your advice to the audience.
— My main advice to the participants is to always build communication strategically and systematically. Watch what you say and what you leave unsaid, because any information can affect trust. Use the tools that provide knowledge and algorithms, but always remember that the basis of any communication is human relationships. I hope that the course has helped the participants to feel more confident and become true leaders in their field. And, of course, a huge thank you to the Energy Club for such an important and timely initiative!
