China's urban youths are leading the international call for brands to reduce their impact on the environment, a survey released on Monday has found.

Commissioned by the London-based non-profit company Carbon Trust, the survey found that 83 percent of Chinese respondents said they would be more loyal to a brand if they could see it was reducing its carbon footprint.

This is the highest rate, followed by 77 percent in Brazil, 76 percent in South Africa, 73 percent in South Korea, 57 percent in the US and 55 percent in the UK. About 500 people aged 18-25 were interviewed online in each country.

Most respondents from China are from the capital cities of their provinces, as rural cities lacked internet access.

Tom Delay, Chief Executive of the Carbon Trust, said the new findings are "startling".

"Perhaps it is the Chinese and not the US consumer that really hold the key to unlocking the mass demand for new low carbon products necessary to deliver an environmentally sustainable economy," Delay said.

"If global brands don't build international carbon reduction strategies even faster, they risk missing out on the spending power of emerging economies," he added.

In two other questions, Chinese respondents again showed the most environmental awareness.

Sixty percent of Chinese respondents said they would stop buying a product if its manufacturer refused to commit to measuring and reducing its carbon footprint, followed by 57 percent in Brazil, 53 percent in South Korea, 51 percent in South Africa, 36 percent in the UK and 35 percent in the US.

Eighty-four percent of Chinese respondents also said they want to see companies' carbon impact quantified by an independent organisation, followed by 77 percent in South Africa, 73 percent in Brazil, 69 percent in South Korea, 56 percent in the UK and 55 percent in the US.

When asked which products and categories should reduce their carbon footprint the most, consumer electronics, healthcare brands, clothes manufacturers and retailers and food manufacturers and retailers topped the league table.

Delay said that Carbon Trust is increasingly advising international brands to reduce carbon emissions, "as the financial and reputational benefits of lowering emissions go global".

Carbon Trust is hosting a new exhibition in London this week to showcase how global brands, including Tesco, Danone, Manchester United and BT, are taking proactive steps to lower their carbon footprint.

The Carbon Trust was founded in 2001 by the UK government to help organisations reduce their carbon emissions. It started working in China in August 2008 to help China accelerate towards a low carbon economy.