China vowed more aggressive steps on emissions Wednesday in a joint announcement with the U.S. — a move that signals an easing of tensions evident at the COP26 climate summit. From a report: The two nations’ joint statement calls for “accelerated actions in the critical decade of the 2020s,” as well as cooperation on measurement and reductions of the powerful greenhouse gas methane. The statement also represents a rhetorical pivot from China, even though it does not explicitly change China’s existing pledge under the Paris agreement to have its emissions peak before 2030 — a stance that has disappointed advocates who want more aggressive action. “Climate change is becoming increasingly urgent and severe,” Xie Zhenhua, China’s top climate negotiator, said via a translator at a briefing in Glasgow, warning of an “existential crisis.” China accounts for nearly a third of global energy-related CO2 emissions in particular. Its emissions path is key to whether the temperature-limiting goals of the Paris agreement can remain within reach.