Recognizing the manic rate of new investment in the clean tech sector, and its own, unique suitability to lead, the TSX exchange group announced it would like to forge the way in clean tech stock markets.

The TSX and TSX Venture exchanges have long been home for mineral exploration companies and oil and gas companies. They have a ready crew of investors familiar with the energy and resource market who recognize a trend when they smell one, making the TSX a natural home for cleantech stocks.

“The trends driving clean tech are the most massive thing I’ve ever seen,” said Rafael Coven, who runs the Cleantech Index.

Similar to our vision at Mining and Money, the Cleantech Index includes companies that are making a contribution to a greener future by reducing impact on the environment, while at the same time producing a quality product.

Venture capital investment in the clean tech sector is six times what is was seven years ago, to over $5 billion today. Q1 investments in clean tech were up more than 50% over Q1 2007. The TSX and TSX Venture combined include 94 clean-tech companies with a total market cap of $13 billion. Many of these companies are featured here on Mining and Money.

In order to capitalize on the robust rate of new investment in the clean tech sector, the TSX group will have to chase European exchanges who currently lead the world in green stocks.

If financial groups the world over are getting excited about the switch to green, it makes sense. The worldwide energy market is a $6 trillion market.

Venture capitalist John Doerr calls it, “the mother of all markets.” He says, “Going green–solving that problem will be largest transformation on the planet.”