Abstract: With the intensifying global climate change, reducing carbon emissions has become a critical task for achieving global sustainable development. Since urban green spaces as important carbon sinks also generate carbon emissions throughout their life cycle, establishing a scientific and systematic framework for quantifying carbon sources and sinks is essential. This study reviews the evolution of urban green landscape carbon accounting systems across three dimensions: from qualitative to quantitative assessments, from rough estimations to precise calculations, and from partial stages to full life-cycle evaluations. Three representative platforms—Pathfinder, Carbon Conscience, and the Landscape Carbon Footprint（LCF）assessment system in Taiwan—are selected for comparative analysis in terms of their calculation frameworks, data sources, and application contexts. Based on this, the study explores the emerging trends in full life-cycle carbon accounting for urban green landscapes. The findings provide theoretical and practical guidance for developing a more comprehensive carbon accounting system in China, contributing to national “Carbon Peaking” and “Carbon Neutrality” goals and supporting the advancement of ecological civilization.

Key words: urban green landscape, carbon source, carbon sink, life cycle, carbon accounting system