Trump says US could ‘conceivably’ return to Paris climate deal

Trump says US could ‘conceivably’ return to Paris climate deal

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.”

Mr Trump pulled America out of the 2015 accord on curbing global warming emissions last June, undermining one of Barack Obama’s flagship achievements. 

At the time Mr Trump framed the agreement as one that undermined America’s national interests. 

“The Paris Agreement handicaps the United States economy in order to win praise from the very foreign capitals and global activists that have long sought to gain wealth at our country’s expense,” he said.

“They don’t put America first.  I do, and I always will. I was elected to represent the citizens of Pittsburgh, not Paris.”

Emmanuel Macron, the French president, said last month that he believed Mr Trump would bring America back into the agreement, raising hopes for an about-turn. 

In the past Mr Trump has repeatedly questioned global warning in the past and has opened up new areas to oil drilling since entering the White House. 

During a press conference with the Norwegian prime minister on Wednesday, Mr Trump said he was “for massive oil” and criticised Hillary Clinton as being “for windmills”.

Michael Bloomberg, the businessman, has pledged alongside some governors to fight Mr Trump’s departure from the Paris climate change at a local level.