Methane emissions far higher than previously thought

Methane emissions are '60 to 110
percent greater than
current estimates', study says.

Global emissions of the potent greenhouse gas methane may be double current estimates, posing a serious new challenge in the fight against climate change, researchers say.

The new study is based on a database 100 times larger than previous ones, and uses a methodology that avoids debatable assumptions underlying earlier models.

Within the figure, the methane leaked during the production and use of natural gas, oil and coal is 20 to 60 percent higher than previously thought, says the study, published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature.   

"Both emissions inventories and atmospheric studies have underestimated methane emissions from fossil fuel development," Stefan Schwietzke, a scientist at the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and lead author of the study, told AFP news agency.

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