County banks $100,000 by switching to digital paystubs, part of a zero-carbon goal.

Allegheny County saved $100,000 in the past year by switching to digital paystubs. 

Director of the Department of Sustainability Brittany Prischak said during council’s July 15 sustainability committee meeting that the move away from paper paystubs earlier this year is part of the county’s zero-carbon emission goal within its climate action plan.

“Our vision that we’ve drafted is an Allegheny County where all people thrive and have a healthy environment because we take climate action together for our neighbors and for future generations,” Prischak said.

Beyond paystubs, Prischak’s department is making the county’s buildings, parks, transportation, and programs more sustainable. For instance, the county has more than 2 million square feet of properties and buildings in operation. “Funding is going to be a huge piece because there is an upfront investment,” she said. “We have a significant number of historical facilities and we’re thinking about what needs to go into them to make sure that they operate efficiently.”

She said other priorities include maintaining the tree canopy in parks, environmentally friendly commuting options for the county’s 6,000 employees, and sustainable procurement practices.

 As part of community engagement, Prischak said they’ve partnered with the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. The museum runs an education program to engage people about climate change without talking about climate change. “It’s worked really well so far,” she said.