Environmental relocation, the organised movement of individuals or communities from at-risk areas to perceived safer locations, raises complex questions about people’s agency in shaping their futures amidst a rapidly changing climate risk landscape. In climate mobility research, policy, and advocacy, the notion of ‘agency’ is invoked alongside other value-laden terms such as empowerment and resilience. Yet, the term is often used inconsistently or without clear definition, creating an ambiguity that limits the capacity of both research and policy to operationalise agency substantively rather than simply rhetorically. This paper addresses this gap by undertaking a scoping review of the literature on environmental relocation, a field that repeatedly grapples with the tension between voluntary and forced movement. A total of 163 articles were reviewed. This paper examines the dominant framings of agency, alongside an exploration of its scalar and temporal dimension, and its orientation, the sphere or direction in which agency is being exercised. Identified literature gaps include the need to explore temporal dimensions of agency within environmental relocation, adopt intersectional approaches, to explore intra-household dynamics, and further theorise the role of coercion and possible operationalisation of enabling or enhancing agency to name a few.