Well that's awkward. Climate change-sceptic Wellington councillor Sean Rush's submission to the Zero Carbon Bill has been rubbished by his own teacher.

Climate scientist James Renwick has responded to Rush's submission using terms ranging from "slightly incorrect" to "out by a factor of 10", to "complete fantasy".

Just weeks before running for Wellington City Council Rush made his submission in which he cited studies which he said showed much of global warming was driven by natural forces, and that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) projections were "exaggerating projected warmth".

Rush has a history as an oil industry lobbyist and lawyer. In a statement to Stuff he said: "I have never denied man-made climate change exists."

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Renwick, a professor and head of Victoria University's School of Geography, Environment and Earth Sciences, where Rush is studying, sent Stuff a three-page response to Rush's submission.

"While I am not particularly keen to argue in public like this, I find Sean's submission distorted enough to warrant a response," he said, attaching a point-by-point rebuttal.

ROSA WOODS/STUFF James Renwick, Professor and Head of School School of Geography, Environment and Earth Sciences, has slammed his own student, Wellington City Councillor Sean Rush.

Rush was not, as claimed, doing a Masters in Science but was instead doing a Master's in Climate Change Science and Policy, "a separate one-year qualification that is distinct from a two-year MSc programme".

Rush's "context" point was "very misleading" and "out by a factor of 10" when he talked about the amount of greenhouse effect that happened naturally versus what happened due to human activities.

SUPPLIED Wellington City Councillor admits he got some things wrong in his submission.

Rush had argued there was a "recent moderate increase in global average temperature".

Renwick shot back: "The rate of rise in temperature is the most rapid in thousands of years, and the increase in temperatures over the past century means the earth is now the warmest it has been for at least 1500 years.

"It is not a moderate increase."

Rush's assertion that IPCC reports did not contain "honest" assessments of natural variability were "just not true", Renwick said.

He went on to argue that Rush had used a "rather out of date" technical summary, and that Rush's statements on the effects of greenhouse gases trapping infrared radiation were a "misrepresentation".

"The idea that climate changes over New Zealand will not be a worry ... is a very optimistic take on what was taught," Renwick said.

In the final of his eight points, Renwick argues against Rush's assertion that democratic safeguards were at risk under the influence of the IPCC.

ROSS GIBLIN/STUFF Cimate change scientist James Renwick on the beach at Raumati South where the dunes are eroding away.

"This is complete fantasy and is in my opinion an insult to the scientific community who give their time freely to the IPCC process," Renwick said.

The IPCC did not recommend policy changes, nor did it have any power over democratic governments, and was completely transparent, he said.

Supplied A July, 2018 post by Sean Rush.

"If Sean had wanted access to a climate model while at university this year, all he had to do was ask."

Rush emailed Stuff to say he had seen Renwick's comments and would take up some of the comments with him.

"The submission was a hurried effort – I can see I have got [some things] wrong, others not and some I am keen to learn. I have a thesis to write over Summer so the issues raised might be more constructively addressed there."

His studies were an "earnest attempt" to understand the complex science, he said.

In another statement he said: "I have never denied man-made climate change exists. I do believe the actions we take have an impact and I have been arguing for the uptake of low carbon energy technology as being the future and I am thrilled to be allocated the alternative energy portfolio to champion the uptake."

He said the climate change debate has become binary, "which is a worry given what is at stake".