It might not feel like it this week, but, according to NASA, 2010 will be the hottest year on record so far. The agency says the record-breaking heat was caused by a combination of man-made factors — greenhouse gas emissions — and a natural pattern of warming caused by El Nino in the Pacific Ocean.

The scorching heat was accompanied by other extreme weather patterns scientists say are affected by the Earth’s heating atmosphere — devastating flooding in Pakistan, an abnormal July heat wave in Russia, warmer oceans that brought outbreaks of coral-reef bleaching.

NASA’s announcement came while representatives from 193 nations held an annual climate-change conference in Cancun, from Nov. 29 to Dec. 11. Unlike last year’s unproductive climate conference in Copenhagen, the Cancun summit actually accomplished several things.

The biggest goal — a legally binding global treaty on greenhouse gas emissions reduction — remains elusive. But in Cancun, groundwork was laid for the 2011 conference in South Africa.

Three areas of contention were settled in Cancun. First, the United States and China agreed on international, transparent stand-ards for countries to verify their reductions of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping emissions. This was a major problem in Copenhagen because the United States and China are the world’s biggest emitters of greenhouse gases. In fact, China has surpassed U.S. emissions.

Second, the delegates agreed that wealthy nations will set up a $100 billion green climate fund by 2020 that poorer countries can tap to both adapt to the effects of a warming planet and develop renewable energy sources. Poor countries have long argued that, while they emit the least carbon dioxide, they often are most vulnerable to its consequences, like more-frequent flooding in low-lying Bangladesh and increasing droughts in Africa.

Third, an accord was approved to reduce global deforestation. The Earth’s forests suck up carbon dioxide. So, as deforestation has hit record levels, particularly in Central and South America, one effect has been an increase in carbon dioxide levels. Experts say that growing emissions from deforestation are equal to the total worldwide emissions from all forms of mechanized transportation.

So preserving vast swaths of forests and reforesting can go a long way to reducing the risks of global warming with no costs to most businesses. We have to plant and preserve more trees.

The Cancun pact followed an initial 2010 agreement to fund reforestation to the tune of $1 billion. But that program wasn’t clearly defined and led to more confusion than results. The 2010 pact provides guidelines and needed clarity on how countries can shape reforestation programs for maximum effect.

Giant strides toward reducing global warming? Maybe not. But when 193 countries can sign off on three key issues you have a good start toward achieving the bigger goals.