# Wool: Emissions

Why wool's footprint depends on sharing with meat

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/wool/emissions/

Why wool's footprint depends on sharing with meat What this tab covers The greenhouse-gas footprint of the commodity at a global level, split by lifecycle phase: extraction (or farming), refining and processing, movement, usage, and recycling or end of life. Intensities are per unit of product; the global total combines intensity with world output. Also covers other environmental impacts and the main levers to cut emissions.

Per kg of greasy wool at farm gate (cradle-to-farm-gate, with flock emissions split between wool and meat). Intensity: Wiedemann et al. 2016, Journal of Cleaner Production; IWTO summaries (indicative). Global total: FAOSTAT 2024; Wiedemann et al. 2016.

#### Footprint by lifecycle phase

| Phase | Intensity | Share | Main sources of emissions | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Extraction** | nearly all of the farm-gate total | – | enteric methane from sheep, manure N2O, pasture fertiliser | Enteric methane is the dominant source. Pastoral flocks with low wool yields per head, as in India and Central Asia, have higher emissions per kg. | Wiedemann et al. 2016; FAO GLEAM (indicative) |
| **Refining / processing** | small next to the farm stage | – | scouring (hot water, detergent), combing, spinning, dyeing; mostly on coal-heavy Chinese power | Scouring also produces wastewater and lanolin, a by-product. | qualitative (indicative) |
| **Movement** | about 0.08-0.16 kg CO2/kg Sydney to Shanghai by container (calculated, indicative) | – | container shipping of bales | About 7,800 km at 10-20 g CO2 per t-km. | calculated; IMO 2020 order of magnitude (indicative) |
| **Usage** | often lower than for other fibres | – | washing and drying | Wool garments are typically washed less often and worn longer (indicative). | IWTO (indicative) |
| **Recycling / end of life** | not quantified | – | mechanical recycling into shoddy yarn; biodegrades in soil | Panipat (India) and Prato (Italy) recycle used woollens; no reliable recycling rate is published. | content_v2 wool stocks |

#### Other environmental impacts

Overgrazing and land degradation in pastoral areas; scouring effluent; mulesing is an animal welfare issue for Australian Merino.

#### Levers to cut emissions

- Higher wool cut and lambing rates per ewe, which spread methane over more product
- Feed additives and breeding for lower methane (early stage, indicative)
- Better grazing management to store soil carbon
- Renewable energy and water recycling in scouring plants
- Expand recycling in Panipat and Prato

#### India

India's 74 million sheep produce only 34.6 million kg of mostly coarse wool a year, so methane per kg of wool is high, though most flock emissions are attributed to meat (DAHD 2019 census and 2024-25 survey; indicative). Panipat's recycling cluster cuts the need for virgin wool.
 Emission figures are indicative global averages from the life-cycle studies named; actual footprints vary widely by site, energy mix and method.

## Other sections

- [Summary](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/wool/index.md)
- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/wool/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/wool/correlation/index.md)
- [Extraction](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/wool/extraction/index.md)
- [Production](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/wool/production/index.md)
- [Stocks](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/wool/stocks/index.md)
- [Cycles](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/wool/cycles/index.md)
- [Trading](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/wool/trading/index.md)
- [Movement](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/wool/movement/index.md)
- [Criticality](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/wool/criticality/index.md)
- [Characteristics](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/wool/characteristics/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/wool/links/index.md)