Energy transition: What social media tells us about the sector's future
Analysis of major energy firms’ consumer-generated content on social platforms highlights a critical gap between corporate narratives and public trust.
The global energy sector is undergoing a transformation, not only in its operations but in how it communicates this change to the world. Social media has emerged as a critical arena for this shift, serving as both a battleground for public perception and a showcase for this evolution. Energy companies are deploying sophisticated digital strategies to navigate this transition, revealing their priorities through hashtags, sponsorships, and organic conversations. By analysing these patterns, we can see valuable insights into the industry’s strategic direction and its response to growing demands for sustainability.
Our recent analysis of leading energy companies offers revealing insights into how these organisations are navigating the energy transition through their digital presence. With audiences increasingly fragmented and a volatile political and regulatory environment effectively bridging the gap between perception and reality has never been more challenging.
Rising tension between corporate messaging and public sentiment
Organic social conversations offer an unfiltered view of public sentiment, revealing challenges not always visible in traditional media. On platforms like X, TikTok, and Reddit, users are often exposing perception challenges that traditional media overlooks. Unlike news, these conversations reflect real-time reactions, scepticism, and emotional responses, taken straight from the public. The social media sphere doesn't allow for the nuanced explanations that might work in annual reports, it demands clarity that many energy companies struggle to provide.
In the analysis of major energy firms, 46 % of consumer-generated content on social platforms centres on climate change responsibility, signalling public demand for genuine emissions cuts. Whereas most popular topics covered in mainstream media focus on company M&A, earnings and profits. This chasm reflects the huge gap between stakeholders, with the public demanding greater corporate responsibility while shareholders demand economic pragmatism.
These exchanges highlight a critical gap between corporate narratives and public trust. This split creates an almost impossible communications environment for energy companies. Any message risks alienating substantial portions of their stakeholder base. The most successful companies are learning to navigate this by acknowledging complexity rather than attempting to please everyone. They're engaging with criticism transparently, sharing both successes and challenges in their transition efforts, and avoiding the corporate speak that social media users increasingly see through.
Strategic hashtag analysis
Hashtags are more than just buzzwords that float on social posts. They’re strategic tools for shaping public image. Leading energy companies use them with accuracy. When TotalEnergies' hashtag strategy heavily features #sustainability and #energytransition, while ExxonMobil's top tags remain focused on #energy and #actonclimate, we're seeing strategic positioning play out in real-time. These aren't accidental choices; they're deliberate signals about where companies see themselves in the transition timeline.
The choice of hashtags reflects a broader calculus: transition leaders use climate-friendly terms to build credibility, while conservatives opt for safer, less transformative narratives. These digital strategies mirror the industry’s split between embracing renewables and hedging on fossil fuels. When E.ON's hashtags consistently feature #sustainability and #renewableenergy, while maintaining practical tags like #eonnext for customer engagement, we see a company successfully balancing aspiration with operational reality.
Popular hashtags like #solar (34%), #wind (29%), and #hydrogen (19%) dominated renewable investment conversations. Simultaneously, activist tags such as #JustStopOil captured 7% of total energy-related discourse, highlighting the strong presence of protests in discourse. These stats show that public trust clusters around genuine action, and that social conversations are an early indicator of credibility, pressure, and momentum in the energy transition.
The sponsorship pivot
The shift in corporate sponsorships represents perhaps the most visible aspect of this digital transformation. When major energy companies move away from Formula 1, synonymous with fossil fuel consumption, towards sustainable alternatives, they're making statements that resonate far beyond traditional advertising metrics. Repsol’s pivot to Formula E, signals a commitment to electrification. The emphasis on environmental responsibility and aligning with broader societal expectations is a key reason brands are pivoting from traditional sponsorships.
Respol also supports other sustainable initiatives in motorsport, like supplying 100% advanced biofuel to the French Formula 4 championship. These sponsorship pivots generate substantial social media discussion, but more importantly, they signal to investors, employees, and the public where companies see their future. These shifts aren’t just about following the crowd, they reflect a strategic realignment toward a decarbonised future, as companies seek to align their cultural footprint with evolving public values.
Reading the digital tea leaves
For industry observers, social media has become an invaluable source of intelligence about genuine corporate direction. The conversations companies engage with, the topics they avoid, and the language they use often reveal more than traditional corporate communications.
As regulation tightens and investor scrutiny grows, communication must evolve alongside innovation. The digital footprints left today will shape the reputations of tomorrow — and determine who earns the public’s confidence in a sector under pressure to change.
Jack Richards is global head of integrated and field marketing at Onclusive. He previously wrote Trust of online platforms is at a tipping point.
Further reading
Tough new greenwashing rules: What PRs need to know about the DMCC Act
PR should be leading the charge on climate adaptation, not hiding behind it