Mission Markets propels ecosystem markets

Mission Markets Earth plans to offer wetlands mitigation credits.

Two new trading platforms designed to increase the flow of capital to social and environmental investments launched in July. 

Both projects of New York-based Mission Markets, Private Capital Marketplace and Mission Markets Earth are poised to meet a growing demand for socially and environmentally responsible investment opportunities, says Mission Markets founder and CEO Michael Van Patten.

Private Capital Marketplace allows socially and environmentally focused companies to post debt offerings and capital requests for accredited investors. Mission Markets Earth, meanwhile, is a centralized ecosystem markets exchange.

Ecosystem markets, or payments for ecosystem services, place a value on services provided by nature, such as water filtration or carbon sequestration and offer a means to provide economic incentive for conservation. Mission Markets’ tradable credits include renewable energy certificates, carbon credits, water quality credits, wetland mitigation and habitat credits, and fisheries catch shares, all of which would first be certified by Markit Environmental Registry, Van Patten says. 

While Mission Markets plans to make its money through transaction fees, it might take a year or two to begin turning a profit, Van Patten says. Trading on the site is expected to begin in the third quarter of 2010. It will likely start out slow, but the site will provide price discovery and transparency to the fledgling markets, he says, adding that he expects trading to take off with increased environmental regulations, and as more companies begin to measure their environmental footprints.