Company executives of Canada's green technology industry said Thursday that the country would fall behind in clean energy generation unless the government offers more support.

The appeal for help was made during the second Canadian Clean Energy Summit, a two-day event that opened here on Thursday and was attended by around 100 representatives from green technology firms.

The participants said the whole world has been slow to adopt green technologies that have been around for decades, such as those for green construction and solar energy.

Industry leaders suggested that the government can help by providing more financial aid and incorporating energy-efficiency into building codes.

Addressing the conference, Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver outlined the government's strategic role in advancing clean technology in the country and pledged continued support for research and development in the area.

"We will continue to support new technologies that demonstrate the greatest potential for progress -- this is the essence of Canada's clean tech approach," he said.

The minister also highlighted the importance of boosting cooperation between the government, industry and academia to maintain Canada's leadership in clean energy.

Since 2006, the Canadian government has invested more than 10 billion Canadian dollars (10.07 billion U.S. dollars) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and build a more sustainable environment.