Scores of countries have joined a pledge to cut their methane emissions by 30% by the end of the decade as part of efforts to tackle climate change.

The global methane pledge, led by the US and EU, has been formally launched at the Cop26 climate summit in Glasgow, where countries are under pressure to increase their emissions cuts to avoid dangerous warming beyond 1.5C.

Cutting methane, a powerful but relatively short-lived greenhouse gas which comes from sources including fossil fuel extraction and livestock farming, is seen as making a significant short-term contribution to climate action.

Half of the world’s top 30 methane emitters, including the US, EU, Indonesia, Pakistan, Argentina, Mexico, Nigeria, Iraq, Vietnam and Canada, have joined the pledge.

Speaking at the summit, US President Joe Biden thanked those who have signed the “game-changing commitment”.

“Together we are committing to collectively reduce our methane by 30% by 2030, and I think we could probably go beyond that,” he said.

“Today it’s approaching 100 countries that are signing on. That’s nearly half the global methane emissions… It’s going to make a huge difference.”

Mr Biden said this would not only help fight climate change but also improve health, cut crop losses and reduce pollution.

He added: “One of the most important things we can do in this decisive decade to keep 1.5 degrees is reduce our methane emissions as quickly as possible.

“It’s one of the most potent greenhouse gases there is. It amounts to about half the warming we are experiencing today.”

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said she is “proud and happy and grateful that over 80 countries have signed up”.

She added: “Methane is 80 times more global warming than CO2. And today, global methane emissions grow faster than at any time in the past.

“So cutting back on methane emissions is one of the most effective things we can do to reduce near-term global warming and keep 1.5C. It is the lowest hanging fruit.”

Clean energy think tank Ember’s global lead, Dave Jones, said: “The global methane pledge is a game-changing moment – it shows that the world is waking up to methane’s staggering climate impact.

“For countries to cut as much methane as possible, they must target all sources,” he said.

He added: “Coal mine methane is fairly quick and cheap to do something about and a massive contributor to global heating.”

Ember said some major emitters have not signed up to the global methane pledge, including China, Russia, India and Australia, but  that other top coal emitters, including the EU, US and Indonesia, had done so.

The move was also welcomed by campaigners, with Dr Kat Kramer, Christian Aid’s climate policy lead, saying the pledge would be significant, if achieved, potentially reducing warming by 0.3C by the 2040s.

“Methane is a greenhouse gas strongly associated with the fossil fuel industry, with what are known as ‘fugitive emissions’ evaporating from coal mines, from oil and gas extraction and from pipelines.

“Methane is but another reason why the fossil fuel industry has to end – and soon,” she said.

“For the poorest and most vulnerable people, who are already being hit by catastrophic climate impacts, the climate co-benefits of shutting down the fossil fuel industry and gaining the double whammy of reduced methane and carbon dioxide emissions will help to reduce their future suffering.

“But these polluters also need to pay for the damage they have already wrought,” she added.