Process for preparing at least one diaryl carbonate from at least one dialkyl carbonate and at least one aromatic hydroxyl compound, the following steps being carried out: 1. (a) preparing an alkylene carbonate of the formula where R 1 and R 2 may each independently be hydrogen, substituted or unsubstituted C 1 -C 4 -alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted C 2 -C 4 -alkenyl or substituted or unsubstituted C 6 -C 12 -aryl and R 1 and R 2 together with the two five-membered ring carbon atoms may be a saturated carbocyclic ring having 5 - 8 ring members, by reaction of alkylene oxide with carbon dioxide, (b) reacting the alkylene carbonate formed in step (a) with at least one alkyl alcohol in the presence of a catalyst, and optionally organic solvent, to form at least one dialkyl carbonate and alkylene glycol, (c) removing and working up at least a portion of the dialkyl carbonate formed in step (b), (d) removing and optionally purifying at least a portion of the alkylene glycol formed in step (b), (e) oxidatively carbonylating at least a portion of the alkylene glycol removed in step (d) with carbon monoxide to give the alkylene carbonate with formation of water, (f) removing and optionally purifying at least a portion of the alkylene carbonate formed in step (e), (g) recycling at least a portion of the alkylene carbonate prepared in step (f) into the preparation of dialkyl carbonate in step (b), (h) reacting at least a portion of the dialkyl carbonate prepared in step (c) with a monophenol to give the alkyl aryl carbonate and/or diaryl carbonate and alkyl alcohol; the alkyl alcohol can in turn be used in step (b), (i) disproportionating at least a portion of the alkyl aryl carbonate prepared in step (h) to give the diaryl carbonate and dialkyl carbonate which in turn can be used in step (b), (j) transesterifying at least a portion of the diaryl carbonate prepared in step (i) with a bisphenol to give the oligo-/polycarbonate and the monophenol; the monophenol can in turn be used in step (h). 1. (a) preparing an alkylene carbonate of the formula where R 1 and R 2 may each independently be hydrogen, substituted or unsubstituted C 1 -C 4 -alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted C 2 -C 4 -alkenyl or substituted or unsubstituted C 6 -C 12 -aryl and R 1 and R 2 together with the two five-membered ring carbon atoms may be a saturated carbocyclic ring having 5 - 8 ring members, by reaction of alkylene oxide with carbon dioxide, (b) reacting the alkylene carbonate formed in step (a) with at least one alkyl alcohol in the presence of a catalyst, and optionally organic solvent, to form at least one dialkyl carbonate and alkylene glycol, (c) removing and working up at least a portion of the dialkyl carbonate formed in step (b), (d) removing and optionally purifying at least a portion of the alkylene glycol formed in step (b), (e) oxidatively carbonylating at least a portion of the alkylene glycol removed in step (d) with carbon monoxide to give the alkylene carbonate with formation of water, (f) removing and optionally purifying at least a portion of the alkylene carbonate formed in step (e), (g) recycling at least a portion of the alkylene carbonate prepared in step (f) into the preparation of dialkyl carbonate in step (b), (h) reacting at least a portion of the dialkyl carbonate prepared in step (c) with a monophenol to give the alkyl aryl carbonate and/or diaryl carbonate and alkyl alcohol; the alkyl alcohol can in turn be used in step (b), (i) disproportionating at least a portion of the alkyl aryl carbonate prepared in step (h) to give the diaryl carbonate and dialkyl carbonate which in turn can be used in step (b), (j) transesterifying at least a portion of the diaryl carbonate prepared in step (i) with a bisphenol to give the oligo-/polycarbonate and the monophenol; the monophenol can in turn be used in step (h). (a) preparing an alkylene carbonate of the formula where R 1 and R 2 may each independently be hydrogen, substituted or unsubstituted C 1 -C 4 -alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted C 2 -C 4 -alkenyl or substituted or unsubstituted C 6 -C 12 -aryl and R 1 and R 2 together with the two five-membered ring carbon atoms may be a saturated carbocyclic ring having 5 - 8 ring members, by reaction of alkylene oxide with carbon dioxide, (b) reacting the alkylene carbonate formed in step (a) with at least one alkyl alcohol in the presence of a catalyst, and optionally organic solvent, to form at least one dialkyl carbonate and alkylene glycol, (c) removing and working up at least a portion of the dialkyl carbonate formed in step (b), (d) removing and optionally purifying at least a portion of the alkylene glycol formed in step (b), (e) oxidatively carbonylating at least a portion of the alkylene glycol removed in step (d) with carbon monoxide to give the alkylene carbonate with formation of water, (f) removing and optionally purifying at least a portion of the alkylene carbonate formed in step (e), (g) recycling at least a portion of the alkylene carbonate prepared in step (f) into the preparation of dialkyl carbonate in step (b), (h) reacting at least a portion of the dialkyl carbonate prepared in step (c) with a monophenol to give the alkyl aryl carbonate and/or diaryl carbonate and alkyl alcohol; the alkyl alcohol can in turn be used in step (b), (i) disproportionating at least a portion of the alkyl aryl carbonate prepared in step (h) to give the diaryl carbonate and dialkyl carbonate which in turn can be used in step (b), (j) transesterifying at least a portion of the diaryl carbonate prepared in step (i) with a bisphenol to give the oligo-/polycarbonate and the monophenol; the monophenol can in turn be used in step (h).