Carbon emissions are a primary driver of global warming, prompting increasing research efforts to forecast carbon emission trends and mitigate their environmental impact. However, a systematic understanding of the existing literature on carbon emission forecasting is lacking. This study aims to provide a comprehensive review of this research field to inform decision-making. Specifically, the study summarizes the literature on carbon emission forecasts from three perspectives. First, it analyzes the general characteristics of the literature. Second, it visualizes and examines research topics and trends over different periods. Third, it explores the foundational knowledge, research content, and contributions of the literature, integrating them into a coherent knowledge framework. The visualization results indicate that the topics of carbon emission forecast studies have shown continuity over the past three decades. Meanwhile, research emphases differ between developed and developing regions. Based on these findings, policy recommendations are proposed, including the enhancement of energy efficiency standards, macro-regulation constraints, fiscal and tax incentives, and the optimization of the energyemission structure.