Carbon footprinting can be useful to assess how activities such as different types of livestock production impact climate change. Sheep and goats represent approximately 55% of ruminants in the world, although they produce just 12 to 14% of greenhouse gases emitted, with CH₄ from enteric fermentation contributing over 60% of total emissions. Concentrate feedstuffs often used to meet nutrient requirements decrease CH₄ emission but can increase diet cost. Alternatively, the partial replacement of grains with agricultural byproducts in combination with sources of lipids or essential oils is a cost-effective mitigation strategy to reduce ruminal methanogensis. Furthermore, maintaining good animal health and longevity will reduce CH₄ emission per kg of milk produced. As a result of climate change, dairy small ruminants are expected to be more subject to periods of thermal stress, both heat and cold conditions. Heat stress (HS) frequently decreases feed intake, impairs fertility, causes discomfort, and alters behavior. Concomitantly, milk yield is depressed and cheese-making properties deteriorate. The HS decreases sensitivity of adipose tissue to lipolytic signals and less insulin is released by the pancreas when glucose is administered. Transcriptomics and metabolomics of blood and milk indicate alteration of immune cell function and inhibition of mammary cell synthetic capacity. Exposing the goat fetus in utero to HS not only modifies postnatal response to HS but also behavior reactions to other stresses such as isolation in an unfamiliar environment. Moreover, cold stress decreases milk yield by dairy ewes and goats as a result of adverse effects on many different physiological conditions. Sensor systems allow collection of information relating to rumen characteristics and behavior in thermal-stressed sheep and goats that will be valuable in production system of the future. Conventional and modern strategies of alleviation include ventilation, sprinkling, dietary supplementation with vegetable oils, coat shearing, and genomic selection to increase thermo-tolerance.