Method  Thermodynamic characteristics, catalyst development, industrialization progress and technical economics of carbon dioxide hydrogenation to methanol were reviewed.

  Result  Cu-based catalysts, precious metal catalysts and In₂O₃ catalyst shows good catalytic performance in carbon dioxide hydrogenation to methanol, but they still need to be further improved to increase the carbon dioxide conversion rate and methanol selectivity. Despite the rapid progress in technology of carbon dioxide hydrogenation to methanol, which is currently in the pilot stage, it is presently difficult to apply on a large scale due to high cost of hydrogen and low price of methanol.

  Conclusion  Fortunately, the price of hydrogen will drop with the booming of the hydrogen industry, and the national carbon trading market will also start, which are beneficial to the blossom of carbon dioxide hydrogenation to methanol.