CIVIL society groups from across the world said that climate negotiations were becoming like a Shakespearean tragedy, with betrayal piled upon broken promises.

At a press conference with speakers from the Third World Network (TWN), Friends of the Earth (FOE) Malaysia and the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA), analysts assessed the state of the climate talks before the annual climate summit in Durban, South Africa in late November.

"Rich countries have long promised to take the lead on reducing emissions but are now insisting on shifting the burden onto developing countries. In good faith, developing countries have proposed to reduce 5 gigatonnes of emissions. Rich countries have proposed just 4 gigatonnes of their own reductions, and with the loopholes on accounting rules they want, they actually are proposing closer to zero reductions. In Panama it looks like a rowing boat with all the oars and effort only on one side," Lim Li Lin, legal expert at TWN said.

"Today the US and other developed countries are seeking a new voluntary system to replace the legally binding Kyoto Protocol and want rewrite the climate convention to shift the burden onto developing countries instead. They also continue to block text on long-term finance so we can't get agreement on how the world will pay for climate action," Meena Raman, climate campaigner of FOE, Malaysia, said.

"The denial and back peddling of agreed commitments by rich countries as well as the delay and blocking tactics on important issues only serve to lock in a pathway towards 5°C of warming and disaster for millions of people," Raman added.

"What's needed is for countries like those in the EU to recognize the good faith offerings of developing countries, such as the significant emission reductions countries like China, India and Brazil are proposing, and make good faith offerings of their own. That means binding emission cuts under the Kyoto Protocol, and not joining the US in its race to the bottom," Lim said.

"South Africa as Chair of the UN climate conference this year in Durban has a big responsibility to the peoples of Africa and the world to ensure an inclusive, transparent and democratic process, unlike what happened in Cancun and Copenhagen. Africa needs an agreement in Durban on the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol and not the lowest common denominator where 'everyone-does-nothing-so-everyone-can-agree'. That is not the South African way and not what we expect to see." Michele Maynard, Policy Officer at PACJA said. Climate-justice, 08/10/11.