Some of these battles have been won this year, but more confronts us. Here are some examples of actions by key countries and why it is critical that we succeed on these efforts in the next few years.

From devastating floods in China and the Philippines to droughts in Africa, the same extreme weather patterns that have hit the United States have impacted locations around the world. This is the face of global warming.

If you are the leader of a small island state -- like the Maldives -- and every day you are faced with the threats posed by global warming what would you do?

The agreements reached in South Africa make important progress, but much more work lies ahead to address global warming. Here is a quick overview of what was agreed and what it means:

Each country can make strong shifts which will ensure that Durban defines a clear mandate to negotiate a new legally binding agreement in the immediate future. Let's hope they take this opportunity and help the world move forward to address global warming.

The U.S. must show leadership by helping craft a path to get a new legal agreement, not throw up barriers at the outset. They need to ensure that they aren't allergic to the meal that is served, but they can't demand that everything on the menu meet their tastes at the outset.

In Durban, countries must be able to "walk and chew gum," while starting to sprint towards solutions that deliver low-carbon energy and reduced deforestation.

The countries that gathered in Cancun made progress on emissions reductions, greater transparency, forest preservation and the creation of the green fund. But we aren't done yet.

Having a strong, credible, and transparent system for tracking greenhouse gas emissions and the actions of a country is an essential building block of an effective international system to address global warming.

If you believe, as I do, that real action can occur without a "binding" agreement or having all the details completed, you'll be surprised to learn that some key things might actually be happening in Cancun.