<p>Against the dual carbon strategy and sustainable development goals, green technologies balancing high efficiency with environmental compatibility are urgently needed for environmental remediation. Significant advantages in remediating petroleum hydrocarbon (PHC) and heavy metal co-contamination are demonstrated by alkyl polyglucoside (APG), a bio-based nonionic surfactant. These advantages stem from its renewable feedstocks, efficient solubilization capacity, and rapid biodegradability. Knowledge graphs were generated through keyword visualization and co-occurrence analysis, revealing the temporal-spatial distribution, knowledge structure, and research hotspots and trends in this field, thus offering a new perspective for understanding the dynamics of APG-related research. Applications of APG in soil pollution remediation, as well as in industrial and agricultural sectors, are reviewed herein. The overall application and development path of APG indicates that it is in a stage of technological growth in environmental remediation and green surfactant development. Furthermore, APG frequently forms compound systems and synergistically couples with redox technologies, microbial systems, and plant systems to substantially enhance remediation efficacy. APG boasts prominent green advantages: its raw materials are derived from glucose and fatty alcohols, and its low-carbon synthesis process aligns with global carbon emission reduction demands. Looking forward, it is proposed that future efforts should focus on modifying the molecular structure of APG to improve targeted remediation capabilities, developing low-carbon and efficient preparation processes, and advancing multi-dimensional integration with nanomaterials and biotechnology. These measures will accelerate its large-scale application in green remediation, thereby providing sustainable solutions for technological innovation in environmental governance under the “dual-carbon” context.</p> Graphical abstract <p></p>