Barbeques Galore: Cooking Up Deep Changes in Retail through Emissions Transparency

About Barbeques Galore 

Barbeques Galore is Australia's leading retailer of BBQ’s and backyard lifestyle products, including grills, smokers, accessories, outdoor furniture, heating and more. With 90 stores throughout the country and a team of passionate BBQ experts, Barbeques Galore is the destination for Australians who want to BBQ better.

Driven by a vision to pioneer sustainability within their retail category, Barbeques Galore are taking proactive steps to address forthcoming mandatory climate disclosures in Australia. Despite the regulations not applying to them for years, the company’s leadership is determined to stay ahead of the curve. Their immediate focus is on familiarising themselves with investor-grade, audit-ready reporting and developing a robust sustainability strategy. This proactive approach not only aligns with their goal of working towards emissions reduction but also positions them to comply with mandatory climate-related disclosures well in advance.

The Challenge 

Recognising the imperative of establishing a comprehensive and accurate baseline for their Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions, Barbeques Galore sought a solution that goes beyond annual sustainability snapshots, to provide dynamic and actionable insights into emission trends and reduction opportunities at both company and product levels. The company has recently undertaken several emissions reduction initiatives, including reducing expanded polystyrene in their packaging and transitioning stores to LED lighting. However, they lacked a reliable and scalable solution to quantify their impact. 

The Terrascope Solution

Using Terrascope, Barbeques Galore discovered that indirect Scope 3 emissions along their value chain constitute 99% of their footprint – a common challenge for retailers worldwide.
Upon further examination of their Scope 3 emissions, Barbeques Galore identified purchased goods and services and sold product usage as the primary contributors to their emissions footprint. This highlighted the importance of prioritising both supplier and consumer engagement in their climate strategy.

01.
Corporate Carbon Footprinting (CCF)

In collaboration with Terrascope’s team of experts, Barbeques Galore investigated emissions associated with the use of products they sell, uncovering valuable insights into different barbeques and fuel types. For instance, pellet barbecue sets emit an average of 0.058 kg CO2e per use – or 96% less compared to gas barbeque models, which contribute the most emissions. Meanwhile, electric barbecues showed potential for carbon neutrality, depending on the grid they connect to.

*Electric BBQs have the potential to be carbon neutral if they are connected to a renewable energy grid

Such insights provide Barbeques Galore with a unique opportunity to educate customers about the emissions linked to various barbecue models and practices – fostering a culture of environmental responsibility among their customer base and driving meaningful change in their emissions footprint and the wider industry.

02.
Building an impactful decarbonisation program

Barbeques Galore also relied on Terrascope to uncover impactful reduction strategies. Through simulations, they identified a number of opportunities to reduce emissions through improvements to product efficiency and transition to alternative fuel sources. Of note, a 10% transition of gas barbecue sales across to pellet grills operating on renewable or sustainably sourced fuel could reduce emissions associated with usage by 10%.

In another area, Barbeques Galore have been able to quantify the impact of initiatives already underway to eliminate polystyrene and single use plastics from packaging materials. Terrascope’s insights highlighted the potential for reducing packaging emissions by 16% to 61% through the reduction or substitution of styrofoam with recycled alternatives.