Abstract

Since the 70's of the twentieth century, the pattern of traditional predatory using of resources and linear mode of economic growth caused a profound reflection of human. The mode of economic development at the expense of resources consumption will inevitably lead to unsustainable ways of production and consumption, which makes human survival and development facing severe challenges. In order to take the interests of present and future generations of mankind into account, people have to change the development mode, and to seek a new development ideas, so as to ensure the sustainable development of human and the green growth of economy.

Energy is the basic material of production and life for human; it is the basic driving force for the progress of human society and economic development, which is the most important factor to influence the sustainable development. Biogas, as a kind of renewable energy, because of its wide distribution, low construction cost and obvious economic, social and ecological benefit, has been to a priority among national energy construction. In 2003, when China promulgated“The measures for management of rural biogas construction project funded by government loans（Trial）”, the development of rural biogas in China entered a golden period, by the subsidies way of the central budget investment. It has realistic significance to optimize the rural energy consumption structure, promote energy-saving emission reduction, improve the quality of agricultural products, improve rural production and living conditions of farmers, and protect rural ecological environment.

Sichuan is not only an agricultural province with large population, but it is also a province with big demand of energy resources. Because the scale of farming is relatively large and the straw resources are rich, the development of biogas for the use of rich biomass has very broad prospects. However, with the profound change of rural economic structure and social structure, the development of biogas in rural areas is facing some new situations and new problems, and it has influenced the advance of the rural biogas project in a certain extent. In order to realize the sustainable development of rural biogas, this book is based on the international background of the global energy crisis and the rise of the concept of green development in response to climate change and the implementation of the strategy of rural revitalization, the promotion of rural energy revolution and rural toilet revolution in the new era. It endows rural energy with the domestic background of the new mission of rural ecological civilization construction and agricultural green development.It analyzes the influence mechanism of rural biogas development using the sustainable development theory, public product theory, the public choice theory, the principal-agent theory and the theory of planned behavior. Combined with the practice of Sichuan, it also evaluates the effectiveness of rural biogas development since the implementation of rural biogas construction project funded by the government loans in 2003, investigates the factors that affect the sustainable development of rural biogas, and finally puts forward some countermeasures to promote the sustainable development of rural biogas.

Through theoretical and empirical analysis, the basic conclusions are as follows：

（1）Rural biogas development at this stage mainly relies on the implementation of rural biogas project, with the obvious characteristics of government orientation. Rural biogas development is mainly based on the policy objectives to alleviate the pressure of national energy, improve the rural ecological environment, improve the quality of agricultural products, and promote agricultural circular economy development. In the policy evolution process, the subsidy standard has emerged from low to high and the scope of subsidies has changed from narrow to wide; it shows that the rural biogas development has continuity in policy.

（2）Sichuan rural biogas development has achieved remarkable results, but also faces many problems. Sichuan has the advantages of foundation, resource, policy, science and technology; but other factors such as not so good geographical conditions, the farmers's low enthusiasm to participate in the construction of biogas, the serious loss of rural biogas workers, operational difficulties of rural service outlets, the lag of biogas industry development and so on, restrict the sustainable development of rural biogas. Sichuan governments at all levels attach great importance to the development of rural biogas and take positive and effective measures to promote the development of rural biogas.

（3）From the project investment, the development of rural biogas is sustainable, and has good economic, ecological and social benefits. Research shows that, the net present value of general project with subsidies is 8169.71 yuan, general project without subsidies is 6351.53 Yuan; the internal rate of return for general project with subsidies is 84%, which is 49% higher than non-project households; payback period of investment for general project with subsidies is 1.32 years,2.15 years shorter than non-project households which is 3.47 years. And the accumulated net income of the household biogas with distinctive industries support is 14494.82 yuan. Net present value is 54933.29 yuan. The internal rate of return is as high as 170%, far higher than the social discount rate 10%, and the investment recovery period is only 0.63 years. In addition, Sichuan rural biogas development can protect about 128000 hectares of forest, and reduce soil and water loss of about 11640000 cubic meters; at the same time, it also helps reduce more than 20% of the pesticides and chemical fertilizers, save about 3487900 tons of standard coal, and reduce about 3669700 tons of CO2emissions. The development of rural biogas, not only changed the structure of energy consumption in rural, consolidate the achievements of returning farmland, but also effectively control the non-point source pollution, promoting the ecological civilization in rural areas.

（4）Farmers' satisfaction of rural biogas development policies should be improved. As the direct beneficiaries of“customer”, the study chose the five dimensions of farmers' expectation, perceived quality, perceived effect, and farmers' complain and loyalty, to evaluate the farmers' satisfaction on rural biogas development policy. The results showed that, farmers' satisfaction index is 3.1323, equivalent about 62.65%. The evaluation tends to be positive on the whole, but the satisfaction is not high. The rural biogas development has required recognition by the majority farmers, but the policy adjustment should consider more interests of farmers, so as to improve the rural biogas fit.

（5）Factors affecting the sustainable development of rural biogas are very complex. It is not only influenced by policy and project characteristics, but also affected by farmers'individual and family characteristics and other environmental factors. Quantitative analysis shows that, the main fac-tors influencing the sustainable development of rural biogas are migrant numbers（X5）, amount of livestock on hand（X7）, building cost（X9）, project construction satisfaction（X10）, the attention of the gov-ernment（X12）, subsidy standard satisfaction（X13）and the subsidy way（X14）.

（6）To achieve the sustainable development of rural biogas, we must establish and perfect the“government guidance, participation of farmers, market driven”investment mechanism, farmers demand expression mechanism, diversification follow-up services management mechanism, incentive and restraint mechanisms, and the main characteristics of industry support mechanism; adjust and optimizes rural biogas development policy design at the same time, such as to formulate the corresponding subsidy standards according to the different household resource endowments and income situation in mountain, plains, hilly areas, and increase the later maintenance support and so on.

The innovation points of this book are as follows：

（1）The paper has carded biogas development policy since the implementation of rural biogas construction project funded by government loans in 2003 and its evolution process systematically; it has established the analysis framework of rural biogas sustainable development from the two levels of government supply and farmer demand.

（2）Based on the perspective of farmers, this paper constructs the evaluation index system of farmers' satisfaction from the five dimensions of farmers' expectation, perceived quality, perceived effect, farmers' complaint and farmers'loyalty, in order to evaluate the farmers'satisfaction on the rural biogas development policy and to provide decision-making reference for rural biogas development policy adjustments.

（3）Using the cost income method, this paper carries on the contrast analysis between the project and non-project households, with industry support project and the general project of farmers, and puts forward the characteristic industry supporting mechanism, which combines rural biogas construction with the local agricultural industry, so as to give full play to the“comprehensive utilization benefit of three marsh”and really realize the sustainable development of rural biogas.

Key words: Sichuan Province; rural biogas; sustainable development; farmers' satisfaction