A process for producing a low temperature water gas shift catalyst comprising from 5 wt% to 70 wt% copper oxide, from 20 wt% to 50 wt% zinc oxide and from 5 wt% to 50 wt% aluminum oxide, comprising: A) producing a precursor material comprising a hydrotalcite, said hydrotalcite being defined as (Cu,Zn) 6 Al 2 16 CO 3 ·4H 2 O, wherein from 5 % to 45 % of the aluminum from said aluminum-containing component is present in the form of the hydrotalcite, wherein the amount of aluminum in the hydrotalcite is calculated by the amount of water lost between 90°C and 180°C as measured with TGA, said precursor material being produced by (i) mixing copper salts and zinc salts in an aqueous solution, (ii) precipitating the copper and zinc components by means of a precipitating agent in a pH range from 6 to 9 and at a temperature from ambient to 80°C, (iii) preparing an aluminum component comprising aluminum both in the form of alumina and ionic aluminum by neutralizing a sodium aluminate solution or a potassium aluminate solution with an acidic material until a pH of 6 to 9 is achieved, wherein the ratio of the aluminum in the form of alumina and the ionic aluminum is controlled to form the precursor material with said concentration of aluminum in the form of hydrotalcite, and (iv) combining the aluminum component with the copper/zinc solution, B) forming the precursor material into shaped precursor catalyst bodies, and C) calcining the shaped precursor bodies. A) producing a precursor material comprising a hydrotalcite, said hydrotalcite being defined as (Cu,Zn) 6 Al 2 16 CO 3 ·4H 2 O, wherein from 5 % to 45 % of the aluminum from said aluminum-containing component is present in the form of the hydrotalcite, wherein the amount of aluminum in the hydrotalcite is calculated by the amount of water lost between 90°C and 180°C as measured with TGA, said precursor material being produced by (i) mixing copper salts and zinc salts in an aqueous solution, (ii) precipitating the copper and zinc components by means of a precipitating agent in a pH range from 6 to 9 and at a temperature from ambient to 80°C, (iii) preparing an aluminum component comprising aluminum both in the form of alumina and ionic aluminum by neutralizing a sodium aluminate solution or a potassium aluminate solution with an acidic material until a pH of 6 to 9 is achieved, wherein the ratio of the aluminum in the form of alumina and the ionic aluminum is controlled to form the precursor material with said concentration of aluminum in the form of hydrotalcite, and (iv) combining the aluminum component with the copper/zinc solution, (i) mixing copper salts and zinc salts in an aqueous solution, (ii) precipitating the copper and zinc components by means of a precipitating agent in a pH range from 6 to 9 and at a temperature from ambient to 80°C, (iii) preparing an aluminum component comprising aluminum both in the form of alumina and ionic aluminum by neutralizing a sodium aluminate solution or a potassium aluminate solution with an acidic material until a pH of 6 to 9 is achieved, wherein the ratio of the aluminum in the form of alumina and the ionic aluminum is controlled to form the precursor material with said concentration of aluminum in the form of hydrotalcite, and (iv) combining the aluminum component with the copper/zinc solution, B) forming the precursor material into shaped precursor catalyst bodies, and C) calcining the shaped precursor bodies.