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The government is expected to announce controversial plans for a third runway at London's Heathrow airport today.

Environmentalists claim such a move will substantially increase carbon emissions, but business leaders insist the expansion is necessary to ensure the capital retains its position as a global financial hub.

Reports claim transport secretary Ruth Kelly, who may also comment on a possible sixth terminal at Heathrow, is likely to stress a third runway at the airport would not breach existing noise and environmental limits.

But critics claim the construction of a third runway would see the total number of flights leaving from the airport rise to 800,000 a year, causing additional noise pollution for local residents and undermining efforts to tackle climate change.

Commenting ahead of today's announcement, which will mark the beginning of a 12-week public consultation on the future of Heathrow, Friends of the Earth pressed the government to abandon its airport expansion plans.

"Building a third runway at Heathrow will inevitably lead to even more flights and more pollution," said Friends of the Earth’s aviation campaigner Richard Dyer.

"If Gordon Brown is serious about significantly cutting this country’s carbon footprint he must shelve his government’s aviation expansion plans," he added.

However the GMB union says an additional Heathrow runway is essential because the airport's existing infrastructure is ageing.

"The existing infrastructure at Heathrow is worn out and lacks the capacity to serve London - a world class city which is now the premier global city for finance," said the GMB's national officer for civil air transport, Mick Rix.

Earlier this week British Airways (BA) chief executive Willie Walsh told City bankers plans to expand Heathrow should not be shelved, claiming the airport could be developed without increasing carbon emissions.