dance around an issue

"There’s no time anymore to keep coming to these COPs as an exercise, when parties come in their private jets and are sponsored by Coca-Cola, etc., and we do a whole dance around an issue so critical and so urgent," said Zukiswa White, 29, a South African campaigner for gender equity in climate policy.

If you try to perfume the pig or dress it up, or dance around an issue, you’re unlikely to have a very effective result.