Market Matters is a monthly podcast from Kepler Trust Intelligence that delivers big-picture insights from leading investment specialists, exploring the opportunities, challenges, and risks shaping investors’ portfolios.

This month, we are joined by Deirdre Cooper, head of sustainable equity at Ninety One. Deirdre co-manages Ninety One's Global Environment strategy, investing in companies enabling the transition to a low-carbon economy to capture the structural growth driven by decarbonisation.

In this episode, Deirdre talks about her introduction to sustainable investment, why the drive towards electrification and decarbonisation has moved from West to East, and why now might be the perfect time to start looking at sustainable investments.

00:00 Introduction

01:10 Background to becoming a fund manager

02:52 Why Ninety One?

04:17 How the strength of the AI theme has surprised Deirdre

06:05 How Ninety One Global Environment provides diversification to portfolios

07:46 How artificial intelligence investments impact the climate solutions universe

09:47 Why most of the assumptions around net zero have been proven to be wrong

12:06 How emerging markets are leading on electrification and decarbonisation

14:55 Why sustainable investors should focus more on inclusion than exclusion

16:03 The risk around interest rates and debt sustainability

16:49 How Ninety One Global Environment chooses companies to invest in

18:22 The investment opportunities in the Chinese stock market

21:00 Why now is an interesting time to start looking at sustainable investments

22:42 Further information

23:02 Risk warning

Please note that this podcast was recorded on 17 December 2025.

Our latest market insights: https://www.trustintelligence.co.uk/investor/articles/category/strategy-investor

Insights from the Ninety One Global Environment team: https://ninetyone.com/en/united-kingdom/funds-strategies/funds/global-environment-s-acc-gbp-gb00bkt89n06?tab=Literature