This bibliometric review of carbon footprint (CF) research aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the field, addressing existing gaps through bibliometric analysis. The study identifies the most productive journals, countries, authors, and institutions, and analyzes collaboration networks among different academic groups. Social network analysis (SNA) is used to uncover the relationships among countries, authors, and institutions, while co-occurrence analysis of keywords and citation analysis of publications and references are conducted to explore core research topics and methods. Key findings include: - A significant increase in CF-related publications, references, authors, and published countries from 2007 to 2022. - The most productive journals, countries, authors, and institutions are identified, with China and the USA being the most productive. - Research hotspots include sustainability assessment, consumption-based CF accounting, and emission mitigation potential assessment. - Commonly applied methods in CF accounting are life cycle assessment (LCA), input-output analysis (IOA), and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) accounting method. - LCA is widely used for its detailed and accurate process analysis, but it becomes complex for large firms. - IOA is useful for measuring carbon emissions at meso and macro scales, providing clear principles and processes. - IPCC methods are internationally recognized but limited to closed island systems and production perspectives. The study concludes that CF-related research has gained significant traction globally, driven by the international consensus on carbon peaking and carbon neutrality targets. The findings provide valuable insights for future research directions and policy-making.This bibliometric review of carbon footprint (CF) research aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the field, addressing existing gaps through bibliometric analysis. The study identifies the most productive journals, countries, authors, and institutions, and analyzes collaboration networks among different academic groups. Social network analysis (SNA) is used to uncover the relationships among countries, authors, and institutions, while co-occurrence analysis of keywords and citation analysis of publications and references are conducted to explore core research topics and methods. Key findings include: - A significant increase in CF-related publications, references, authors, and published countries from 2007 to 2022. - The most productive journals, countries, authors, and institutions are identified, with China and the USA being the most productive. - Research hotspots include sustainability assessment, consumption-based CF accounting, and emission mitigation potential assessment. - Commonly applied methods in CF accounting are life cycle assessment (LCA), input-output analysis (IOA), and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) accounting method. - LCA is widely used for its detailed and accurate process analysis, but it becomes complex for large firms. - IOA is useful for measuring carbon emissions at meso and macro scales, providing clear principles and processes. - IPCC methods are internationally recognized but limited to closed island systems and production perspectives. The study concludes that CF-related research has gained significant traction globally, driven by the international consensus on carbon peaking and carbon neutrality targets. The findings provide valuable insights for future research directions and policy-making.