<p>Green and bio-inspired catalysts have become a disruptive force in the materials landscape, standing at the intersection of sustainability and sophisticated nanotechnology. These catalysts are based on natural design methodologies and optimized by material science to provide high catalytic activity at low environmental cost by integrating biopolymer support, enzyme-framework hybrid and bio-mimetic nanostructure. Recent advances emphasize their use in converting renewable energy, such as hydrogen evolution and CO₂ reduction, and in reducing pollution, including wastewater treatment, photocatalytic contaminant degradation, and green organic transformations. The combination of natural templates, cellulose, chitosan, and proteins, along with the latest frameworks-MOFs, COFs, and perovskites-enables researchers to create multifunctional catalytic systems that represent optimal choices in terms of activity, stability, and environmental friendliness.</p> Graphical abstract <p></p>