Emissions from biomass combustion, which are a major source of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and major contributors to air pollution, have a direct effect on the regional atmospheric chemical composition and air quality as well as radiation balance of the earth-atmosphere system and consequently affect climate change. Understanding the emissions from biomass combustion is not only the basis for the prevention and control of atmospheric pollution, but also the fundamental principle for establishing emergency plans to prevent and control air pollution under severe weather conditions. In this paper, we have reviewed the research progress of emissions from biomass combustion and discussed the composition of the emissions, analysis of the emission sources and emission models, characteristics of the emissions and their effect on the atmospheric environment, and spatial-temporal heterogeneity and spatial-temporal regularity of the emissions. On the basis of the current research status and existing problems, quantitative research on biomass combustion emissions needs to be performed using 3S integration technology to improve the algorithm and covert scales and hence optimize the models. Research on the influence of biomass combustion emissions on the ecological environment may provide a reference for preventing and controlling air pollution and drafting emergency plans for the prevention and control of air pollution under severe weather conditions.