Irish Examiner view: Cop28 eating the elephant a bite at a time

Cop28 in Dubai: Experienced politicians are aware of the accusation that the road to net zero can run through the homes of the poor and those on low fixed incomes. Picture: AP Photo/Peter Dejong

Leo Varadkar has been heavily criticised for his choice of words recently, even when his intentions have been good. He may even be tempted to offer up the second line of the famous Nina Simone/Animals hit: “Oh Lord, please don’t let me be misunderstood.” 

It is understandable therefore that he might choose to avoid the rhetorical sideshow conjured up by climate campaigners and the media at Cop28 in Dubai about whether political leaders should use this particular platform to commit to “phasing out” rather than “phasing down” fossil fuels.