Eleven bishops from the Lutheran Church in Norway have called on the country's government to make greater efforts to develop its climate change strategy, pointing to the harm climate change is already wreaking in the southern hemisphere.

Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) has drafted a joint declaration in which it calls for Norway to reduce its greenhouse gases rather than buy emission rights, reports AFP.

The document also stresses the need for Norway to take a lead in emphasising climate issues in development aid talks and form a coalition with other "responsible countries" that are also looking to reduce their emissions.

"It's important to focus our attention on why so many people on the planet are living in need and in poverty," said Helga Byfuglien, Bishop of Borg, citing "political oppression and climate change caused by man" as causes.

"In order to get to the root of the problem, political changes are necessary," she said.

At a recent debate hosted by NCA, the General Secretary of Climate Network Africa, Grace Akumu 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," 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. This figure is expected to increase in coming years and the emissions from two new gas power stations that are soon to be built in Norway will add to these projected figures.