Doha ( CNN ) -- After two weeks of climate negotiations in Doha , bleary-eyed ministers , negotiators , and advocates are headed back home to the various regions around the world . Few , if any , are leaving entirely satisfied . The pace of progress on climate change is still too slow and the political will for greater ambition remains elusive . That said , these talks did achieve the basic goal of extending the Kyoto Protocol and moving countries onto a single negotiating track toward a new climate agreement by 2015 . This leaves the door for more progress ahead . This year 's talks took place against the backdrop of two disturbing trends . On the one hand , there are multiple signs that climate change is here and its impacts are already being felt around the world . On the other hand , the world remains tied to the consumption of fossil fuels that drive more and more greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere . With each passing day that we do n't shift directions , we are increasingly locking ourselves into more unstable climate future . The real question is : Can the international talks have a real impact on climate change ? But before we get to that question , let 's look more closely at the two trends : . First , in recent years , we 've seen a surge in climate and extreme weather events , along with analysis and other evidence that the world is on an unsustainable course . The most recent and tragic example was Super Typhoon Bopha that swept across the Philippines this week , killing at least 500 people and leaving tens of thousands displaced . Typhoons are n't unusual in the Philippines , but this one is the most southern on record and it arrived particularly late in the year . The storm , of course , comes on the heels of Hurricane Sandy , which swept through the Caribbean and up the East Coast of the United States , leaving hundreds dead , and thousands without power or property . These are the kind of extreme weather events that are becoming more common in a warming world . On top of these examples are a series of powerful new reports that reinforce the dangerous direction the world is headed . For instance , the World Bank just released a report , `` Turning Down the Heat , '' which explores a world with four degrees Celsius of global temperature growth . The picture is not pretty . Four degrees would bring more intense wildfires , heat waves , and droughts . Ocean life would die off , while pests and disease would increase , the report says . Already we are seeing that polar ice is melting faster than expected and sea levels are rising beyond many projections . For instance , NOAA just released a study showing that sea levels could rise as much as 6.6 feet by the end of the century . Furthermore , temperature records continue to fall . The United States is on course to have it hottest year on record , as withering drought spreads across two-thirds of the country . That brings us to the second major trend , which is the world 's ongoing dependence on fossil fuels . WRI recently released an analysis showing that there are nearly 1,200 new proposed coal plants worldwide . While not all of these will be developed , even a fraction of them would drive up global emissions . Oil , likewise , remains a dominant fuel source . And , despite the enormous profits , the International Energy Agency has reported that government subsidies for fossil fuels were six times those for renewable energy in 2011 . This dependence on fossil fuels keeps pushing up the global emissions . ( 2011 also broke the record for greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere . ) That 's why what happens in the global climate agreements is so crucial . The UN is the only venue that brings all countries together and gives each a chance to have a voice . It provides a common arena that enhances transparency and accountability among countries . But , the UN is only as effective as the political will of its members . Right now , when it comes to climate change , we are simply not seeing nearly enough commitment nor ambition from national leaders . Greater domestic action can instill confidence and help build momentum . With more national leadership , the UN can move faster and take a bigger bite out of global emissions . Of course , the international system can not solve the problem on its own . We need business leaders , government officials , and the public to step up as well . We need more of their voices in the debate . Fortunately , public understanding of climate change is on the rise , as is support for action . Turning again to the Doha meeting , it 's certainly clear that the meeting alone wo n't do enough to address this issue . But it does put countries on a track and provides them with the opportunity to raise their ambition . The time we have to cut emissions to avoid the worst consequences of climate change is running short . The stakes are high . It 's time for world leaders , negotiators and the public to increase their intensity , to develop more specific strategies , and deliver more emission reductions . We need to build on Doha and get on a path to a strong , fair and ambitious climate agreement . Join us on Facebook/CNNOpinion . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Jennifer Morgan .
Climate negotiations end in Doha , Qatar without a major agreement . The talks achieved the basic goal of extending the Kyoto Protocol . WRI 's Jennifer Morgan says progress on climate change is still too slow . Score: 6 World needs t o 'get on a path to a strong , fair and ambitious climate agreement '