Abstract: Objective In recent decades, the theory of stable carbon isotopes has been gradually perfected, and with the progress and development of testing techniques, carbon isotope analysis has become more accurate and efficient. As a powerful tool, carbon isotope tracer technology is widely used in soil-vegetation-ecology-environment research and plays an important role. Methods In this paper, a large number of literatures on the application of carbon isotope technology are reviewed, and the latest research progress on the principle and practical application of stable carbon isotope technology at home and abroad is reviewed. Results Using stable carbon isotope technology, the genetic source of natural organic matter such as coal, oil and natural gas can be effectively identified. Global climate change can be effectively retrieved through the changes of carbon isotope composition in different geological bodies such as cave stalagmites, loess sediments, lake sediments, tree rings, Marine foraminifera, Marine carbonate rocks and ice cores. In addition, carbon stable isotopes are also used to trace the geochemical cycle of soil organic carbon, and solve the problems of inorganic carbon sink transformation and carbon pool identification in arid and semi-arid areas. Conclusions Stable carbon isotope technology has been widely used in the research of coal-oil-natural gas field, global climate change, organic carbon cycle in superorganism system and inorganic carbon sink source, and has achieved a lot of research results. In the future, with the continuous progress of equipment and testing technology, relevant theories and research methods will become increasingly mature and perfect, and carbon isotope tracer will play a greater role.