Methane emissions from cattle are 11% higher than estimated

Bigger livestock in larger numbers in more regions has led to methane in the air climbing faster than predicted due to 'out-of-date data'

Emissions of the greenhouse gas methane from livestock are larger than previously thought, posing an additional challenge in the fight to curb global warming, scientists have said.

Revised calculations of methane produced per head of cattle show that global livestock emissions in 2011 were 11% higher than estimates based on data from the UN's Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC).