Dumain concludes that the benefits of openness outweigh the costs, because the company wants to spur others to action: “Our influence is larger than our impact. If we’re willing to share that information, it becomes exponential.”

That’s a pretty powerful idea, especially when it’s applied across the business and not just to a company’s green activities.  It’s too bad more companies don’t believe in this; sharing information and being more transparent can not only increase your influence, it can also help turn customers into evangelists for your company and products.