In this study, we reported a novel and facile method for the fabrication of highly porous nitrogen-doped carbon nanoribbons (NCNs) by using KOH as an activating agent and polypyrrole nanoribbons as carbon and nitrogen precursors. The as-prepared NCNs exhibited an ultrahigh specific surface area (2230 m(2) g(-1)), large pore volume (1.2 cm(3) g(-1)), high nitrogen content (8.4 at %), and excellent thermal stability. Given the above features, the NCNs as gas adsorbents possessed a high uptake capacity for carbon dioxide (24.5 wt %) and methane (3.0 wt %) at 1.0 bar and 273 K. Furthermore, the NCNs as anode materials for lithium ion batteries delivered a high reversible capacity, good rate capacity, and excellent cycling performance due to the combined advantages of the high accessible porosity and enhanced electrochemical activity of doped nitrogen atoms. Therefore, the highly porous NCNs may hold promise in the fields of energy and environment.