Environmental geology which emphasizes the entire spectrum of human interactions with the environment and aims to maintain sustainable development of human body and geological environment, has been recognized as a major concern in geology and environment research. This paper reviewed the developing process of environmental geology discipline, and discussed the significant achievements and key issues of environmental geology research in the whole world. This provides a perspective from which to propose that environmental geology research is an urgent need for geological work with the purpose of meeting the requirements of ecological civilization construction and country development. The study of the work puts forward the development direction and priorities of research areas of environmental geology in the aspects of urban environmental geology, water resource sustainable utilization and management, geological hazard monitoring and integrated control, ecological environment protection, and earth critical zone research. It is suggested that interdisciplinary research and comprehensive research on new technology and method constitute the general trend of environmental geology development, which will profoundly influence the research progress and provide better understanding of relationships between human body and geological environment, and the problem as to how to plan better to utilize resources and protect geological environment.