Hi Pat,
A significant proportion of emissions for wool arise from farm production, mainly from enteric methane. When sheep digest pasture, 4.5-6.5% of the energy can be lost as methane, which is belched out. In the first two decades after its release, methane has 84-86 times more global warming potential than carbon dioxide before it breaks down into CO2.
The allocation of those impacts between meat or wool however is based on economic allocation – whether more revenue is being generated from meat or wool production rather than treating wool as a waste/by-product.
