Donald Trump has said America could “conceivably” return to the Paris climate change agreement in the strongest hint yet he is considering a turnaround.

The US president said he pulled out of the environmental pact because it was a “bad deal” but insisted he was not against the thrust of the agreement.

The comment gives hope to European leaders pushing for the United States to resign and is likely to trigger a renewed diplomatic lobbying drive.

However the remarks came on the same day that Mr Trump dismissed the importance of renewable energy and said he was a “massive” supporter of oil.

Discussing the Paris deal, Mr Trump said in a news conference: "Frankly, it's an agreement that I have no problem with, but I had a problem with the agreement that they signed, because, as usual, they made a bad deal.

He added: "So we can conceivably go back in.”