The conversion of CO₂ into high-value-added chemicals and fuels using electricity generated from renewable energy sources is one of the most promising methods to reduce the dependence of human society on fossil fuels and to alleviate environmental problems. The performance of catalysts is one of the most important factors restricting the development of this technology, and in recent years, carbon materials have been the hot spot of research in the field of CO₂ electrocatalytic reduction catalysts. In this paper, the progress of the application of carbon materials in CO₂ electrocatalytic reduction reaction (ECR) is reviewed in detail. Three aspects of carbon materials directly as metal-free carbon material catalysts for CO₂ reduction, metal-centered coatings in metal catalysts, and support for metals, are comprehensively described, respectively, including the preparation strategy of catalysts, the mechanism of action and structural characteristics of catalysts, the distribution of products and the catalytic performance of catalysts. Finally, the problems and challenges faced by the field are summarized, and the outlook is presented in various areas, including catalyst preparation, performance enhancement, and deepening mechanism research.