Over 20 more countries vow to slash methane emissions

U.S. special climate envoy John Kerry announced Monday that 24 additional countries agreed to a voluntary pledge to cut emissions of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, by one-third by 2030.

Why it matters: The Global Methane Pledge, which the Biden administration announced with the European Union last month, now includes nine of the world's top 20 methane emitting countries, representing around 30% of total emissions and 60% of the global economy.

New pledgers include Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Nigeria, Sweden and Pakistan.

• Argentina, Ghana, Indonesia, Iraq, Italy, Mexico and the United Kingdom agreed to the pact when it was first announced.

Yes, but: These are voluntary pledges for a yearslong plan. The key thing to watch is what tangible steps follow the nonbinding agreements from nations and corporations.

Thought bubble, via Axios' Andrew Freedman: Along with carbon dioxide, which is a long-lasting planet-warming gas, methane is a potent warming agent that acts in the near term, over the time span of one to two decades.

• In recent years, methane emissions have been increasing quickly, and reducing them could have a near-immediate effect on the climate, studies show.
• The new methane pledge is part of a Biden administration-led effort to pursue an all-encompassing strategy to slash emissions of planet-warming gases, from ozone-depleting substances to carbon dioxide.

The big picture: More than 20 leading philanthropic organizations also announced Monday that they will commit over $223 million to support implementation of the pledge.

• The new commitments come just weeks before the UN is set to hold a climate summit in Glasgow on Oct. 31.

Go deeper: Pondering Biden's Plan(et) B if climate summit fails