Abstract: In the last decade, ever increasing energy and environmental problems such as fossil fuel depletion and global warming are ringing the alarm bell to human society. Many proposals have been put forward to mitigate and adapt such situations. Synthetic biology is a set of tools and techniques which mix engineering and biology and support the development of new applications. New applications may be found in energy, medicine, environment and materials. In this study, we first focus on the definition of synthetic biology as well as the potential applications and key challenges, then the role of synthetic biology in producing renewable energy and the relations between sustainable energy and sustainable development are discussed. Finally, several key points to achieve sustainable development are summarized.