Methane released in gas production means Australia's emissions may be 10% higher than reported

Analysis shows the government, which has committed to a gas-led recovery', has failed to properly account for methane's effect on global heating

Australia's greenhouse gas accounting underestimates national emissions by about 10%, largely due to a failure to properly recognise the impact of methane released during gas production, an analysis has found.

In late June, the energy and emissions reduction minister, Angus Taylor, amended laws to reflect a scientific consensus that methane - a highly potent but short-lived greenhouse gas that leaks during gas processing - plays a greater role in heating the planet than previously thought.