NOVELTY - Environmentally beneficial method of producing methanol, comprises: providing divided electrochemical cell comprising anode in first cell compartment, metal cathode electrode in second cell compartment and anion-conducting membrane firmly sandwiched between anode and cathode; recycling carbon dioxide from an existing source into second cell compartment; electrochemically reducing recycled carbon dioxide and solution in second cell compartment to produce a reaction mixture, and obtaining and directly reacting the reaction mixture in the presence of a catalyst to produce methanol.    USE - The method is useful for producing methanol (claimed), which is useful: for energy storage and transportation; as a fuel in internal combustion engines or fuel cells; and to produce related fuels (dimethyl ether, by dehydration), dimethyl carbonate (by oxidative carbonylation), ethylene, propylene, higher olefins, synthetic hydrocarbons and all their derived products including single cell proteins.    ADVANTAGE - The method is simple, efficient and environmentally beneficial, as the method provides reduction in carbon dioxide emissions and the removal of excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere which will assist in reducing global warming and restoring atmospheric conditions to pre-industrial levels, thus preserving the planet's climate for future generations. The method produces methanol without the need of adding extra reactants e.g. hydrogen source, thus there will be no need to separate the product mixture in a subsequent treatment step and streamlining methanol production.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - Environmentally beneficial method of producing methanol by recycling and reductive conversion of any available source of carbon dioxide, comprises: providing divided electrochemical cell comprising anode in a first cell compartment, metal cathode electrode in a second cell compartment that also contains an aqueous solution, and anion-conducting membrane firmly sandwiched between anode and cathode; recycling carbon dioxide from an existing source into second cell compartment; electrochemically reducing recycled carbon dioxide and solution in the second cell compartment to produce a reaction mixture comprising carbon monoxide and hydrogen gas; and obtaining and directly reacting the carbon monoxide and hydrogen gas of the reaction mixture from second cell compartment in the presence of a catalyst to produce methanol and also produce oxygen in the first cell compartment at the anode, to benefit the environment by reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide.