We present here routes to increase the CO 2 conversion into CO using an atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier discharge. The change in conversion as a function of simple plasma parameters, such as power, flow rate, but also frequency, on-and-off pulse of the power, thickness and chemical nature of the dielectric, wall and gas temperature, is described. By means of an in-depth electrical characterization of the discharge (effective plasma voltage, dielectric voltage, plasma current, number and lifetime of the microdischarges), combined with infrared analysis of the walls of the reactor, optical emission spectroscopy for the gas temperature, and mass spectrometry for the CO 2 conversion, we propose a global interpretation for the effect of all the experimental parameters on the conversion and efficiency of the reaction.