The current status, hotspots, and trends of carbon footprints research in China: a visual analysis based on CiteSpace

China has proposed the “30-60” dual-carbon targets along with corresponding policies, and the significance of carbon footprint as a metric for measuring greenhouse gas emissions is increasing. To better understand the research hotspots, trends, and future developments in this field, the CiteSpace literature measurement software was used in a visual analysis of 1287 documents on carbon footprint research from the CNKI core database, collected between 2010 and 2023. This study systematically summarises the research progress in this field at different time points, the main journals that published key authors, and the focal research points. The findings of the study indicate that: (1) The concept of green development and the proposal of dual-carbon targets have greatly bolstered research on China’s carbon footprint; (2) Cross-regional, cross-institutional, and interdisciplinary scientific research cooperation have all had a significant impact on the advancement of research on China’s carbon footprint; (3) Carbon footprint management, assessment, and certification have emerged as hot research areas that could propel China towards achieving the “30-60” dual-carbon targets.