A palladium-copper-zinc catalyst (PdO:CuO:ZnO=2:28:70), prepared by sequential precipitation of the respective cations, was tested in the hydrogenation of CO2 at high pressure (conditions: 60 bar, CO2 : H-2 = 1 : 3 (molar), W/F = 0.0675 kg h/m(3), 453-513 K). The methanol yield was improved on using this Pd-containing catalyst at all temperatures with respect to the reference copper-zinc catalyst (CuO:ZnO=30:70). This improvement was not due to an additional effect in which palladium was acting as an independent catalytic site but was caused by a synergetic effect of Pd on the active Cu sites. This effect was explained in terms of hydrogen spillover and an increased stability against CO2 oxidation of the surface copper. Therefore, the present contribution not only supports previous literature findings concerning the hydrogen spillover mechanism but also resulted in a complementary view regarding the role of palladium in Pd-modified CuO-ZnO-based catalysts.