Tandem catalysis via methanol intermediate is a promising route for the direct conversion of syngas into aromatics. However, the simultaneous formation of CO2 is a serious problem. Here, we demonstrate that CO2 was formed by the water-gas shift (WGS) reaction (CO + H2O → CO2 + H2) over a ZnO-ZrO2/H-ZSM-5 catalyst, and the net CO2 formation could be inhibited without affecting the formation of aromatics by co-feeding CO2.