Energy Security Minister Claire Coutinho said that Rosebank would be less emissions-intensive compared with older oil and gas developments because they were designed with mitigations in place.
Environmental campaigners had urged the government to halt development of Rosebank, saying it contravened the plan for a net-zero economy.
Uplift, a campaign group opposed to Rosebank, said Britain would struggle to benefit from Rosebank as most of the oil would be processed abroad.
"By approving Rosebank, Rishi Sunak has confirmed he couldn't care less about climate change," Uplift executive director Tessa Khan said.
The North Sea Transition Authority, the UK regulator, said it had taken Rosebank's emissions into account in relation to Britain's climate plan.
Persons:
Rishi Sunak, Claire Coutinho, Sunak, Caroline Lucas, Rosebank, Tessa Khan, Sarah Young, William James, Ron Bousso, Kate Holton, Jane Merriman
Organizations:
Energy, Environmental, Green Party, Labour Party, Ithaca Energy, Ithaca Energy's, Transition, Thomson
Locations:
Ithaca, Britain, Oslo, Rosebank, Equinor