Abstract: Electricity carbon emission factors, an essential part of the greenhouse gas accounting system, plays a crucial role in mitigating climate changes and achieving carbon neutrality. Currently, researches on the accounting of electricity carbon emission factors has been developing towards more accurate, more regionally refined, and more timely directions. This paper summarizes the evolution of the demands for electricity carbon emission factors in the greenhouse gas accounting system, as well as the common standards and the selection methods used by the domestic and the foreign enterprises. Meanwhile, it introduces the calculation methods and application requirements of the electricity carbon emission factors that have been implemented by the European and American governments and organizations, explores the research progresses and the applications of the emission factors. For the United States and Europe, the research progresses in the Stanford University, the University of California, Davis, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and the typical scientific researches are introduced respectively. In addition, this paper also explores the innovations of the European and American companies in the calculation methods and the application scenarios of the electricity carbon emission factors, including the electricity carbon emission-related applications and products launched by the PJM, the ISO-NE, the WattTime and other companies. Finally, this paper points out the necessity of conducting researches and applications of the time-based and region-based electricity carbon emission factors in China and proposes some corresponding suggestions, providing a reference for further researches and the standard formulation of China's electricity carbon emission factor.