Norwegian Church Aid has held a debate on climate change with senior politicians during which the general secretary of Climate Network Africa warned that thousands were already dying from the effects of climate change.

"We don't have the luxury of being able to talk about the consequences of climate change will be in the future. Thousands of people are dying already as a result of climate change," said Grace Akumu, general secretary of the Climate Network Africa at a debate at Norwegian Church Aid's head office in Oslo last Wednesday.

Norwegian Minister for the Environment Helen Bjørnøy, and members of parliament Børge Brende and Kjetil Solvik joined Akumu to debate the possibility of achieving a multi-party consensus on environmental policy.

Akumu expressed grave concern about Norway's progress so far on climate change policy. "When I return to Kenya, I will not tell my colleagues that the political parties in Norway are still arguing amongst themselves about climate change policy. That would be too depressing," she said.

Akumu also criticised Norway's performance in fulfilling its obligations under the Kyoto protocol, which permits Norway to release a maximum of 50.3 million tonnes of CO2 on average per year during the period 2008 - 2012. Norway's emission levels for 2006 have already reached 56 million tonnes of CO2, and, as Akumu highlighted, this figure is expected to increase in coming years.

"In the Norwegian state budget for 2007, the government of Norway lays out its plans to release 57 million tonnes of CO2 during 2008, the first year covered by the Kyoto protocol. This is a 20 per cent increase on 1990 levels, and is in direct contradiction with Norway's obligations under international law," said Akumu.

She added that emissions from two new gas power stations that are soon to be built in Norway will add to these projected figures and expressed disappointment in Norway's attempts to buy its way out of the Kyoto protocol through emission reduction activities abroad.

"What kind of signal does this kind of behaviour send to the rest of the world? When the world's richest country can't manage to reduce its CO2 emissions, how can Norway expect the rest of the world to commit to the legislation and measures that are so necessary?" she concluded.

One of the priority themes for Norwegian Church Aid's fundraising campaign during Lent, the Lenten Campaign, is the effect of climate change on developing countries.