This invention provides methods for producing 
ethylene glycol from polyhydroxy compounds such as 
cellulose, 
starch, 
hemicellulose, glucose, 
sucrose, 
fructose, 
fructan, 
xylose and soluble xylooligosaccharides. The methods uses polyhydroxy compounds as the reactant, a composite catalyst having 
active components comprising one or more transition metals of Groups 8, 9, or 10, including iron, 
cobalt, 
nickel, 
ruthenium, 
rhodium, 
palladium, 
iridium, and 
platinum, as well as 
tungsten oxide, 
tungsten sulfide, 
tungsten hydroxide, tungsten 
chloride, tungsten 
bronze oxide, 
tungsten acid, 
tungstate, metatungstate acid, metatungstate, paratungstate acid, paratungstate, peroxotungstic acid, pertungstate, 
heteropoly acid containing tungsten. Reacting at a temperature of 120-300° C. and a 
hydrogen pressure of 1-13 MPa under hydrothermal conditions to accomplish one-step catalytic conversion. It realizes efficient, 
highly selective, high yield preparation of 
ethylene glycol and 
propylene glycol from polyhydroxy compounds. The 
advantage of processes disclosed in this invention include renewable 
raw material and high 
atom economy. At the same time, compared with other technologies that converts 
biomass raw materials into polyols, methods disclosed herein enjoy advantages including simple reaction process, high yield of targeted products, as well as easy preparation and low cost for the catalysts.