TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The metal cathode electrode is gold (preferred), copper, silver, zinc, palladium, gallium, nickel, mercury, indium, tin, cadmium, thallium, lead or platinum electrode.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Method: The carbon monoxide and hydrogen gas are obtained in the reaction mixture in a ratio of 1:2-1:2.1 or with excess amounts of hydrogen gas, and without adding hydrogen from outside of the cell. The electrochemical reduction comprises applying voltage of -1.5 to -4 V with respect to silver/silver chloride reference electrode. If the existing source is atmosphere, then the method further comprises: obtaining the carbon dioxide from the existing source by absorbing atmospheric carbon dioxide onto a suitable adsorbent followed by treating the adsorbent to release the adsorbed carbon dioxide from it, where the adsorbent is treated by sufficient heating or by subjecting the adsorbent to sufficient reduced pressure to release the adsorbed carbon dioxide. The electrical energy for the electrochemical reduction of the carbon dioxide is provided from an energy source based on nuclear, hydroelectric, wind, geothermal or solar power. The oxygen produced at the anode is utilized for efficient combustion of fossil fuels in power plants to exclusively produce clean carbon dioxide exhausts for capture and recycling, where the carbon dioxide exhausts are captured and recycled as the source of carbon dioxide for the cell. The anion-conducting membrane is sandwiched between anode and cathode in a membrane electrode assembly, where the membrane is an anion-conducting polymer electrolyte based on polymeric amines. Preferred Components: The existing source is: an exhaust stream from a fossil fuel burning power or industrial plant, a source accompanying natural gas, or geothermal wells; or atmosphere. Preferred Components: In the method, the electrolyte comprises methanol, water or organic ionic liquids based on imidazole and related derivatives with bicarbonate and related counter anions. EXAMPLE - The divided electrochemical cell was provided in which anode cell compartment and cathode cell compartment was separated by a membrane electrode assembly consisting of anion conducting (e.g. hydroxyl ion, bicarbonate ion or carbonate ion) polymeric membrane firmly sandwiched between catalyst coated cathode (e.g. gold) and catalyst coated anode (e.g. platinum), at a potential of -3 V having silver/silver chloride reference electrode, carbon dioxide is reduced and water was electrolyzed at the cathode side to an optimal 1:2 mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen, which in the presence of a catalyst produced methanol and pure oxygen was produced at the anode.