KYOTO — Although major companies are accelerating efforts to obtain international recognition of their environmental management systems, few small and medium-size firms are following suit due to the high cost of certification and a lack of knowledge.

As of the end of April, 3,693 offices and factories in Japan had received ISO14001 recognition, an international standard for environmental management systems set by the Geneva-based International Organization for Standardization, according to the Japan Standards Association.

The Agency of Industrial Science and Technology estimates that small and midsize companies account for less than 10 percent of that total.