Metal–organic framework-based compounds have recently gained great attention because of their unique porous structure, ordered porosity, and high specific surface area. Benefiting from these superior properties, metal–organic framework-based compounds have been proven to be one of the most potential candidates for environmental governance and remediation. In this review, the different types of metal–organic framework-based compounds are first summarized. Further, the various environmental applications of metal–organic framework-based compounds including organic pollutant removal, toxic and hazardous gas capture, heavy metal ion detection, gas separation, water harvesting, air purification, and carbon dioxide reduction reactions are discussed in detail. In the end, the opportunities and challenges for the future development of metal–organic framework-based compounds for environmental applications are highlighted.