Bioenergy is rapidly growing in many parts of the world. But continued investments in bioenergy do not depend entirely on technological advances, feedstock availability, and economic conditions. The social acceptance of bioenergy by the general public appears to be essential to the political legitimacy of the bioenergy industry, and the willingness of policy‐makers to introduce or maintain supportive policy schemes for bioenergy. In the context of Europe, this perspective argues that communication strategies will become increasingly important for the bioenergy industry as it continues to expand. In short, this perspective discusses four main questions, including: What is the current social acceptance of bioenergy among citizens in Europe? What are the key lessons from experiences with communication on bioenergy? What are the emerging ‘hot’ topics for the bioenergy industry? What international efforts are underway to inform the general public about bioenergy? Overall, this perspective aims to provide insights into the linkages between the social acceptance and the political legitimacy of bioenergy, and the role of communication strategies. © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd