Abstract: Mesoporous carbon materials have a high specific surface area, tunable surface chemistry and pore structure, and good chemical stability and conductivity. They have attracted great attention for use in environmental remediation, industrial catalysis, energy conversion and storage. The carbon precursor is important for the synthesis of mesoporous carbons with different properties. Plant polyphenols are a kind of universal biomass with low cost, nontoxicity and sustainability that can be used as a carbon source. Most importantly, their good adhesion and metal chelating ability make them suitable for the synthesis of mesoporous carbon composites. Methods for the synthesis of different forms of mesoporous carbon from plant polyphenols are provided, including porous carbon foams, ordered mesoporous carbons, mesoporous carbon spheres, heteroatom-doped mesoporous carbons, and composites of mesoporous carbon with metals. Their uses in environmental and energy studies are summarized.