This is no different at a breed level and the Texel Sheep Society has, in recent years, been supporting a variety of initiatives, including a multi-national research group studying emissions mitigation measures from pasture-based systems, for which SRUC is the UK research partner.
This project, grass2gas, has helped standardise phenotype measurements of methane production in sheep internationally.
A focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) is vital for the sheep sector to play its part in the challenge presented by climate change, says Texel Sheep Society chief executive John Yates.
He says: "There can be no doubt that the farming industry has a central role to play in meeting the challenge of climate change. Reducing emissions is key to that, as is encouraging increased sequestration of GHG through environmental and grassland management techniques."
The society commissioned a recent study undertaken by international genetics consultancy AbacusBio which has given a strong steer on the future direction required within the breed in order to help industry meet government GHG targets and potentially achieve net zero.
Mr Yates says: "This study has given the society the information with which to plan future breeding goals, while considering the breed's environmental impact. As ever, if you do not measure you can not manage, and knowing where the breed is currently positioned is vital for its future planning so we can continue to assess the breed's performance and improve on it.
"The project supported the development of a new breeding goal and economic breeding indexes launched earlier this year, and also analysed the breed's economic and environmental value. Genetic improvement in the Texel breed is predicted to be worth more than £334 million to the industry over the next 20 years, however, implementing the new indexes increases this by £16.9m, to more than £350m."
The study, the first commissioned by a sheep breed society to include environmental assessment, highlighted a trend of increasing ‘gross emission' levels within the breed.
The increase in gross emissions is quite normal for livestock industries and breeds where the breeding goals are aimed at supporting profitability.
Mr Yates says: "However, by also measuring the breed's emissions intensity, it is understood, because of improving maternal and terminal traits in the breed, emissions intensity is decreasing, albeit slightly.
"In effect, due to increased breed efficiency over recent decades, Texels are emitting lower GHG levels/kg of meat produced than previously and with new trait measures coming online for environmental traits, the breed is well positioned to use the society's genetic improvement tools to support the breed's development and support the Government's net zero targets."
Gross emissions is the total GHG emissions from an animal, whereas emissions intensity is a measure of the GHG emissions per unit of production, usually expresses as per kg of meat produced in sheep production systems.
Mr Yates says this trend for reduced emissions intensity was welcome, although at this stage it is quite modest.
"Selecting for more efficiency, focused largely on meat yield and growth has helped reduce emissions intensity, but it has resulted in generally larger adult animals which require higher maintenance levels.
"It is a case of optimising production goals, which requires a compromise. It is simple, you just cannot have it all, all the time.
"Unfortunately, there are no clear policy drivers coming from Defra currently, which when available, will provide an uptick in genetic selection in commercially valuable breeds and increase the use and value of proven animals - those which rank high in their breed indexes - which will include environmental trait values.
"While the findings of this study have highlighted areas for improvement, it also presents opportunities in future breeding goals. Adult size should be a key parameter in future objectives, seeking out animals with fast growth, for efficient production of slaughter generation progeny, but also moderate mature size in support of a sustainable national flock and the maternal genetics required to achieve that," he says.
"Adopting GHG emissions as an extra selection criterion, while not sacrificing the gains being made in other profit traits, will help Texel producers future-proof the breed and the wider sheep industry."
