31.07.2025
In the energy sector, where the interests of players are often blurred and the rules of the game are constantly changing, the most powerful tool of influence is not the voice of a single company, but the common position of a broad coalition. Olha Kamenets, an expert with 20 years of experience in GR and reform advocacy, spoke about the difference between a coalition and an association and how to properly build temporary alliances to achieve strategic goals, during her lecture as part of the “Communications and Interaction in Energy” course by Energy Club.
The speaker emphasized that unlike associations, which are formal unions of players from the same industry, a coalition is usually an informal and often temporary alliance of diverse stakeholders around a common goal. It is this diversity that gives a coalition special weight in the eyes of the government and society.
“An association usually represents the interests of a certain group of market players, and therefore, its advocacy actions are often based on business interests. But when a broad coalition unites around an idea… and especially when this coalition includes representatives of civil society and activists… then it truly seems that these changes are greatly needed by society, they are objective, and they are perceived differently,” explained Olha Kamenets.
Anatomy of a Successful Coalition
The expert outlined the key stages of creating and operating a viable coalition: from the initiative and search for allies to the formalization of goals (often by signing Memorandums) and the public launch of a campaign, for example, through a press conference by its initiators. For a coalition to work successfully, it needs:
Ukrainian and European Case Studies: What Works in Practice?
Olha Kamenets illustrated the theory with real-life examples. She detailed the case of the RES producers’ coalition in defense of the “green” tariff, which in 2020 managed to reach a compromise with the government by signing a memorandum, saving the industry from a wave of bankruptcies.
Powerful European campaigns were also cited, such as “Europe Beyond Coal,” which united environmentalists and communities and led to the closure of over 200 coal-fired power plants, and the anti-fracking campaign in the UK, which resulted in a complete moratorium.
“It is always very important to find the interest for communities, for people. If you can attract wide circles to your idea, if their lives will change from the implementation of this idea, then the chances for advocacy will be much higher,” the expert concluded, analyzing the success of the European cases.
The lecture gave participants a clear understanding that creating coalitions is the highest form of mastery in the GR sphere, allowing narrow industry issues to be elevated to the rank of socially significant ones and achieving fundamental changes in public policy.
About the course: The course “Communications and Interaction in Energy: Strategies for PR, Marketing, GR and Lobbying in Ukraine” from Energy Club is designed to enhance the communication capabilities of companies, promote their competitiveness, and support the sustainable development of Ukraine’s energy sector.
