On April 18, the Academic Symposium on Rural New Energy Systems and Ecological Development 2026 was held in Chengdu. The event was hosted by the Biogas Institute of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (hereinafter referred to as “BIOMA”), and organized by the Rural Energy and Ecology Research Center of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and the editorial office of China Biogas.

With the theme of “New Energy, New Rural Development, New Ecology, and New Journals,” the symposium aimed to thoroughly implement Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, advance the strategic deployment of building a new energy system and promoting livable, business-friendly, and harmonious rural areas under China’s 15th Five-Year Plan, and strengthen the leading role of academic exchange systems in disciplinary development. Nearly 300 experts, scholars, and representatives from universities, research institutes, government authorities, and enterprises across the country attended the meeting.

Huang Sanwen, Member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and President of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, delivered an online address. Li Yufei, Chief Economist of the Sichuan Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, also gave remarks. Keynote speeches were delivered by Jiang Jianchun, Member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and Researcher at the Institute of Chemical Industry of Forest Products, Chinese Academy of Forestry; Meng Haibo, Director of BIOMA; Wang Quanhui, Executive Deputy Secretary-General of the China Rural Energy Industry Association; He Xiaosong, Researcher at the Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences; and Cheng Lei, Researcher at BIOMA.

The meeting emphasized that building rural new energy systems and advancing ecological development constitute a systematic, long-term, and strategic undertaking that must rely on scientific and technological innovation. It highlighted the need to align with the objectives of the 15th Five-Year Plan, strengthen connections with national priorities, grassroots needs, enterprises, and international cooperation, and coordinate scientific resources for joint breakthroughs. Efforts should focus on overcoming key “bottleneck” technologies, promoting landmark achievements in renewable energy fields such as biomass energy, and fostering the development of new quality productive forces.

The symposium featured parallel sessions on rural energy and ecological strategy, biogas quality and safety, and youth exchange. Discussions focused on strategic priorities for rural energy and ecological development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, key research directions and tasks, as well as the quality and safety of biogas and biomethane. During the event, BIOMA signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Suihua City of Heilongjiang Province to jointly promote the orderly development of the liquid biofuel industry.

Closely aligned with the major needs of rural energy and ecological development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, the symposium established a high-level platform for academic exchange and received widespread attention and positive feedback from both academia and industry.