Cyclic anhydrides are useful molecules, used either as intermediates to platform chemicals, or as monomers for the production of polyesters. The current industrial production of cyclic anhydrides is based on the oxidation of fossil feedstock, as exemplified by succinic anhydride (SA), which is mainly derived from n-butane. Alternatively, cyclic anhydrides can be obtained after the catalytic carbonylation of oxygenated substrates: epoxides, β-lactones, and α,β-, 12 β,γ-, or γ,δ-unsaturated acids. In particular, SA can be obtained from β-propiolactone (PL) or acrylic acid (AA), which have the potential to be bio-sourced through intermediates like glycerol, lactic acid, 3-hydroxypropanoic acid (3-HPA), or ethanol (Scheme 1). Provided this carbonylation takes place with carbon monoxide produced by reduction of carbon dioxide or gasification of biomass, this would mark a step forward towards sourcing the carbon skeleton of SA from renewable feedstocks (i.e. biomass or chemical waste). After a first attempt by Tsuji in 1969 that afforded a moderate yield in anhydride under harsh conditions (100 bar CO, 150 °C, Scheme 2a), efforts have focused on incorporating a Lewis acid in order to activate the lactone and enable its carbonylation. The group of Coates have designed the state-of-the-art catalyst systems for such reactivity: an ionic pair composed of [Co(CO)4] -and a metallic-based Lewis acidic cation (Scheme 2b). As a fine-tuned catalyst was required to afford a selective carbonylation process, the aluminium-or chromium-based cations were designed by coordination to substituted tetradentate salen or porphyrin ligands which require multiple steps of synthesis and purification. The high activity of the synthesized species comes at the price of its sophistication.