Treatment　of　recalcitrant　landfill　leachate　(LFL)　induces　huge　energy　consumption　and　carbon　emissions　due　to　its　complex　composition.　Although　membrane　distillation　(MD)　exhibits　good　potential　in　LFL　treatment　with　waste　heat　utilization,　membrane　fouling　and　ammonia　rejection　are　still　the　major　problems　encountered　that　hinder　its　application.　Herein,　membrane　electrochemical　reactor　(MER)　was　coupled　with　MD　for　simultaneous　membrane　fouling　control　and　resource　recovery.　LFL　pretreatment　with　membrane-less　electrochemical　reactor　(EO)　and　without　pretreatment　were　also　purified　by　MD　for　comparison.　Results　showed　that　the　MER-MD　system　rejected　almost　all　CODCr,　total　phosphorus,　metal　salts,　and　ammonia　nitrogen　(increased　by　33.5%–43.5%　without　chemical　addition),　and　recovered　31%　of　ammonia　nitrogen　and　48%　of　humic　acid　in　the　raw　LFL.　Owing　to　the　effective　removal　of　hardness　(61%)　and　organics　(77%)　using　MER,　the　MER-MD　system　showed　higher　resistance　to　the　membrane　wetting　and　fouling,　with　about　61%　and　14%　higher　final　vapor　flux　than　those　of　the　MD　and　EO-MD　systems,　respectively,　and　the　pure　water　flux　could　be　fully　recovered　by　alkaline　solution　cleaning.　Moreover,　SEM-EDS,　ATR-FTIR　and　XRD　characterization　further　demonstrated　the　superiority　of　the　MD　membrane　fouling　reversibility　of　the　MER-MD　system.　Energy　consumption　and　carbon　emissions　analysis　showed　that　the　MER-MD　system　reduced　the　total　energy　consumption/carbon　emissions　by　∼20%　and　∼8%　compared　to　the　MD　and　EO-MD　systems,　respectively,　and　the　ammonia　nitrogen　recovered　by　MER　could　offset　8.25　kg　carbon　dioxide　equivalent.　Therefore,　the　introduction　of　MER　pretreatment　in　MD　process　would　be　an　option　to　decrease　energy　consumption　and　reduce　carbon　emissions　for　MD　treatment　of　LFL.　©　2022　Elsevier　Ltd