Natera, Inc. is a clinical genetic testing company specializing in non-invasive, cell-free DNA testing technology, with a focus on women’s health, oncology, and organ health. With more than 3,000 employees and 18 locations, the Austin-based company generated over $1B USD in revenue in 2023. Caring for the planet is one of Natera’s priorities, and the company has been working to align its business strategy with sustainability goals. In 2023, Natera’s sustainability team partnered with Persefoni to calculate its carbon footprint.
A need for reliable, transparent, audit-ready data
When Natera’s sustainability team first met with Persefoni, their biggest priority was accuracy. Like many organizations, Natera has experienced requests and questions from stakeholders and regulators to provide comprehensive and reliable greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reports. In the face of regulations like California’s SB 253 and the SEC Climate Disclosure Rule, the company needed a reliable method for calculating its carbon footprint. “When you’re about to hit publish on your ESG report, you want to feel confident in your data,” explains Natera Director of ESG and Sustainability Casey Stock.
The team was particularly concerned with the risk of errors from tracking data on spreadsheets, according to Stock. Past carbon accounting efforts had provided limited data visibility due to proprietary factors, and they wanted more confidence in the numbers they would be sharing in ESG reports. When they met with their accounting team, it became clear that they needed a new approach — one that would provide greater transparency and allow them to readily verify greenhouse gas emissions data. The company wanted a process that would facilitate assurance over their emissions data — something increasingly required by regulators.
Efficient, scalable data management
Natera’s sustainability team is small but mighty. They not only needed reliable calculations, they wanted a carbon accounting solution that would optimize their capacity in the long run and allow them to manage data in-house. Persefoni’s user-friendly platform made uploading data more streamlined, allowing the team to review historical inventories and ensure alignment with the GHG Protocol (which underpins climate disclosure requirements around the world). “It was a very streamlined process for our teams,” says Natera ESG Specialist Jasmine Ferdowsian, who was charged with gathering information from different parts of the organization. “We were able to provide clarity up front on everything that was needed instead of going back to teams multiple times.”
Hands-on support from carbon accounting experts
What really stood out, according to Ferdowsian, was the continuous, personal guidance from Persefoni’s carbon accounting experts. “I was genuinely surprised by the level of support we received. The Persefoni team was always empowering, helping us learn for the future. They were thoughtful about our specific services and operations. That was a huge unexpected benefit.”
A big-picture view, strategic choices
After partnering with Persefoni, Natera’s sustainability team not only has greater confidence in their calculations, they’re better equipped to communicate with internal teams and external stakeholders. They’ve been able to provide detailed answers in their reports to CDP, the global voluntary climate disclosure initiative. They are continuing to refine and improve the emissions calculation process, and plan to use Persefoni to broaden their team of data owners in the future — further increasing efficiency and buy-in.
Armed with three years of reliable data, they can now identify what’s working and make more strategic emissions reductions. “We’re able to see the big picture with the sustainability levers we’re implementing and their impact on our emissions, specifically with scope 1 and 2,” Stock explains. “A lot of companies are trying to figure this out, and I’m glad we made the change when we did.”
Partnership Publications
