Global warming due to greenhouse gases, mainly carbon dioxide (CO2) has been a serious concern worldwide. The projected trends are alarming indicating the strong need for scientific intervention to counteract this phenomenon. Carbon capture (pre-combustion or post-combustion modes) using various technologies viz., adsorption, absorption, membrane separation, cryogenic separation and chemical looping combustion has been a successful tool to reduce greenhouse gas emissions thereby mitigating climate change. 

But the major challenges of carbon capture technologies are commercial viability and integrating with sources of emission like power sector. Hence scientists are looking for a two edged sword like CO2 methanation or reduction to clean fuels like methane and other hydrocarbons. This not only reduces the amount of CO2 thereby reducing global warming but also produces clean fuels like methane meeting ever increasing demand for clean energy. In this talk, various developmental trends related to CO2 methanation would be discussed in terms of vital aspects related to nanomaterials, mechanistic aspects like materials, thermo-kinetic models, contactors besides recent advances in electrochemical and photocatalytic reduction of CO2. Regarding materials employed in CO2 methanation, different classes of materials, their critical properties, synthesis protocols, performance analysis in terms of yield, selectivity, conversion would be discussed. Different mechanisms proposed for various types of catalytic reduction of CO2 would be presented. Thermo-kinetic models also would be highlighted that were developed and validated to explain the reaction at a micro-level. Contactors of various types employed to carry out this reaction in different modes and process conditions would be compared in terms of their design and process parameters, scale, applications along with their merits and demerits. Future prospects and challenges would be highlighted for prospective researchers.