The per-capita ecological footprint of China has exceeded the global sustainability threshold and is more than double of the available per capita biocapacity in the country, the 2012 edition of WWF's China Ecological Footprint Report stated Wednesday.

The biennial survey shows that although China's per capita ecological footprint, the demand the country places on the natural environment, is lower than the global average, the nation is already consuming 2.5 times its biocapacity, the capacity to regenerate natural resources and absorb carbon emissions.

The report says carbon remains the largest component of China's overall ecological footprint.

Only a small portion of this comes from direct consumption of fuel or electricity in households or of gasoline for transport. The vast majority is made up of indirect emissions, embodied in consumer goods and services, which account for up to 90 percent of the carbon footprint in some regions.

The drivers of the average Chinese person's ecological footprint have also changed, with a significant turning point coming in 1985, when growth rates of per capita consumption outstripped production efficiency, said the report.

"Of all the demands China is now placing on its environment, carbon emissions are having the biggest impact. The country needs innovative solutions to reduce its carbon footprint. Production efficiency needs to improve, and consumers need to shift their choice to low footprint products," said Li Lin, deputy country representative of WWF China.

The report shows that rapid urbanization is having a big impact on China's footprint, with urban areas registering much higher per capita footprints than rural areas across all provinces in the mainland.

However, findings also show that rural areas face unique challenges in ensuring the health of their natural resources.

"China is at a turning point. The choices it makes today regarding consumption, production, investment and trade, and in managing its natural capital, will determine the country's future," said WWF International Director General Jim Leape.