The chemical industry needs to substitute fossil-based energy and resources by renewable energy and sustainable carbon feedstocks such as CO2 and biomass, to reduce environmentally harmful emissions stemming from fossil-derived carbon. To sustain the production of chemicals and materials that propel modern development, this research consortium of academic institutions, technology providers, and technology end-users will develop durable electrodes and electrochemical processes for conversion of carbon dioxide to platform chemicals based on formaldehyde, while simultaneously upgrading bio-acids into bio-chemicals. We will validate the feasibility of electrodes based on earth-abundant carbon, thus eliminating the necessity of critical elements.