BARACK Obama raised eyebrows after he claimed he was on the "Emerald Isles" during his speech at COP26 in Glasgow.

The former US President then compounded the error by referring to "the Bard" – before quoting William Shakespeare.

It came as he warned time is running out to tackle the climate crisis and insisted world leaders are still "falling short".

He said keeping the rise in global temperatures to 1.5C will be "really hard".

Quoting Othello, Mr Obama said the “wounds” caused to the planet by climate change will “be healed by degrees”.

He said: "Since we're in the Emerald Isles here, let me quote the Bard, William Shakespeare.

"'What wound,' he writes, 'did ever heal but by degrees?'

“Our planet has been wounded by our actions – those wounds won’t be healed today, or tomorrow, or the next, but they can be healed by degrees.

“If we start with that spirit and each of us can fight through the occasional frustration and dread, if we pledge to do our part and then follow through on those commitments, I believe we can secure a better future. We have to.

“And what a profound and noble task to set for ourselves.

“I’m ready for the long haul if you are, so let’s get to work.”

The Emerald Isle is a poetic name for Ireland, while in Scotland, Robert Burns is known as the National Bard.