Abstract: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a preventable and treatable disease characterized by persistent airflow limitation.As one of the most common chronic diseases worldwide, COPD still lacks effective therapies to delay its progression.Mitochondria as the organelle essential for cellular metabolism, growth and energy supply plays a regulatory role in a variety of physiological processes.A growing number of studies have shown that environmental factors like cigarette smoke, dust, and air pollution can lead to mitochondrial dysfunction in lung epithelial cells, causing and exacerbating pulmonary injury in COPD.This review aims to explore the role of mitochondrial dysfunction in lung epithelial cells during the development of COPD and to summarize the potential therapeutic approaches for COPD by targeting dysfunctional mitochondria.