The partnership will officially begin on Tuesday. Methane, the second most prevalent greenhouse gas, has a stronger heat-trapping capacity than CO2 but deteriorates more quickly in the atmosphere, making reducing methane emissions an effective way to combat global warming. The Global Methane Pledge, introduced in September, now has half of the top 30 methane emitters and two-thirds of the global economy on board, as stated by a Biden administration official. Brazil, one of the largest methane emitters worldwide, is among the new signatories to be announced on Tuesday. China, Russia, and India, all of which are among the top five methane emitters, have not yet agreed to sign the pledge. These countries were previously identified as targets to join the pledge. Since the pledge was introduced in September with only a few countries signing on initially, the United States and European Union have been working to persuade the largest methane emitters in the world to join the partnership. Nearly 60 countries had signed up just last week, following a final diplomatic push from the United States and EU before the COP26 summit. Although not officially part of the UN negotiations, the methane pledge could prove to be one of the most significant outcomes of the COP26 conference due to its potential impact in combating devastating climate change. According to a report by the UN in May, significant reductions in methane emissions in the next ten years could prevent nearly 0.3 degrees Celsius of global warming by the 2040s. Failing to address methane emissions could make it impossible to achieve the goals set by the Paris Agreement to limit the global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels and prevent the most severe impacts of climate change. The 30 percent reduction in methane emissions would be a collective effort by the countries involved and would encompass all sectors, including leaky oil and gas infrastructure, old coal mines, agriculture, and landfill sites. This commitment is expected to have the most significant impact on the energy industry, as experts believe that repairing leaky oil and gas infrastructure is the most efficient and cost-effective way to reduce methane emissions. The United States leads as the largest producer of oil and gas globally, with the EU being the top importer of gas. This week, the US is set to introduce regulations on methane emissions from oil and gas. Meanwhile, the EU and Canada are both expected to announce methane legislation related to the energy industry later in the year.