TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Method: The makeup stream has syngas stoichiometric number (SN) of 2 - 2.1. The method additionally involves supplying a purge gas stream from the methanol synthesis loop to the separation step; supplying a carbon dioxide stream from an associated process to supply the makeup stream; providing at least a portion of the acetic acid produced to a vinyl acetate monomer synthesis loop in the associated process; combining the portion of the acetic acid with an ethylene source and oxygen to produce vinyl acetate monomer; importing a CO 2 rich stream to the methanol synthesis loop; importing CO 2-rich stream from the vinyl acetate monomer synthesis loop to the methanol synthesis loop; and diverting the feed gas stream (35 - 65, preferably 45 - 55%) to the first and second stream, respectively. The separation step involves supplying the minor portion of the syngas to a methane wash cold box unit. From the separation step a flash gas is recycled to the methanol synthesis loop. From the cold box a tail gas stream is recycled as feed gas. The method involves carbon dioxide emissions of less than 10 (preferably 5)% of the total carbon input. From the separation step a first portion of the hydrogen-rich stream is recycled to the methanol synthesis loop and a second portion is sent as feed to an associated process. To the associated process and the autothermal reformer oxygen is supplied by a single air separation unit. At least 10% of the syngas stream is directed to the separation step. The hydrocarbon source comprises natural gas and a ratio of the imported CO 2 stream to the hydrocarbon source is at least 0.05 kg CO 2 per Nm-3 natural gas. The imported CO 2 stream to the natural gas is 0.2 (preferably at least 0.23) kg CO 2 per Nm-3 natural gas. The separation step produces a tail gas stream enriched in inerts.Preferred Components: The autothermal reformer is a single train autotherma1 reformer. The associated process uses the acetic acid as a reactant, uses the methanol product as a reactant, shares oxygen from a common air separation unit and/or shares common utilities.