Who knew that the United Nations Climate Change Conference would turn so competitive so quickly? Though Joe Biden vowed to reduce methane emissions by at least 30% by 2030 in a speech Monday, that pledge made fewer waves around the world than the promise made by India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi. As detailed in a five-prong solution to combat climate change, Modi announced that India intends to reach net-zero by 2070.

This is the first time India has made a carbon neutrality pledge, though COP26 generally hopes countries reach net-zero by 2050. The U.S. and E.U. have already vowed to do so, while China says it will reach net-zero by 2060. India is the world’s third-largest carbon emitter, while China and the U.S. round out the top two spots.

Biden’s COP26 speech zeroed in on methane in particular because, as the president said, methane remains “one of the most potent greenhouse gases.”

“More than 70 countries have already signed up to support the rapid reduction of methane pollution, and I encourage every nation to sign on,” Biden said. “It’s the single most effective strategy we have to slow global warming in the near term.”

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, one ton of methane released into the atmosphere has about 80 times the warming impact of one ton of carbon dioxide. Methane accounts for 10% of American greenhouse gas emissions, though the proposed reduction of 41 million tons of methane emissions is the equivalent of 920 million metric tons of carbon dioxide. The U.S. is hoping to reach this goal by 2035.

Not to be outdone by its neighbors to the south, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Tuesday that his country would also be targeting methane emissions. 

Canada has already signed onto the Global Methane Pledge. Its goal of reducing methane emissions by at least 75% within the oil and gas industries is significant, as that sector represents the largest polluter in Canada of not just methane emissions but overall greenhouse gases. Methane accounts for 13% of Canada’s overall emissions.

The U.S. is one step ahead of Canada in legislation, with plans to release new regulations on methane this week. Canada will announce its own series of regulations later this year, as will the European Union. One thing to especially look out for in the U.S. is a proposed methane fee that would require oil and gas giants to pay as much as $1,500 per metric ton of emissions that exceed a certain threshold in 2025. The methane fee is part of the Build Back Better Act, which Biden touted during his COP26 speech.

Much of what Biden is most proud of, in terms of combating climate change, hinges on the passage of the Build Back Better Act. The president is hoping to realize his pledge of investing billions in reducing emissions as well as helping developing countries hit the hardest by climate change, but none of that can be achieved if the bill continues to languish. It’s critical—especially on a global stage—that the U.S. put its money where its mouth is. Call on lawmakers to pass the Build Back Better Act for the sake of our planet and generations of Americans to come.