Unlike previous Annual Reviews titles, its subject area was interdisciplinary and lacked a history of literature.

The first volume covered the energy system of the United States,[4] and the journal's first editor was Jack M.

[7] Content published in the journal relates to environmental science and environmental engineering, such as ecology, conservation biology, energy development, hydrology, climate change, oceanography, and agriculture.

[8] Under Annual Reviews's Subscribe to Open publishing model, it was announced that the 2020 volume of Annual Review of Environment and Resources would be published open access, a first for the journal.

[2] Dates indicate publication years in which someone was credited as a lead editor or co-editor of a journal volume.