The magnitude and rate of this increase, at least in the earth’s nearly 800,000 years of history, is unprecedented ( Figure 1B). In May 2019, CO 2 concentration in the atmosphere exceeded 415 ppm, about 48% higher than that before the industrial revolution. However, human activities are breaking the balance, and the situation is becoming more and more serious. While absorbing solar radiation, the earth is also losing energy to the space, so that the energy in and out of the earth system is basically the same ( Figure 1A). Finally, in this review attention is paid to the development of new catalysts, new routes and new technologies for CO 2 conversion aiming to clarify the future direction. Moreover, the utilization status and future role of methanol as a platform molecule in the energy system is analyzed.

This review highlights current developments and future perspectives in the production of methanol from CO 2, as well as the main existing problems based on a thorough techno-economic analysis. Comprehensive analysis shows that the production of methanol by thermal catalytic CO 2 hydrogenation is the most promising technology for large-scale industrialization. With the increasing environmental problems caused by carbon dioxide (CO 2) emission and the ultimate carbon resources needed for the development of human society, CO 2 hydrogenation to methanol with H 2 produced with renewable energy represents a promising path forward. 2Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.1State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, PSU-DUT Joint Center for Energy Research, School of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China.Xinbao Zhang 1, Guanghui Zhang 1*, Chunshan Song 1,2* and Xinwen Guo 1*

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