The value of stable, comparable and standardised measurement: enabling confidence in decision making for societal challenges

Abstract

Abstract Making decisions that have broad societal and economic impact is extremely hard. This is especially true when the data upon which choices for future action are based are unstable or have uncertain provenance. This letter discusses the benefits of metrology, as the science of measurement, in providing data that is stable, comparable and produced using standardised methods, in enabling greater confidence in the decision-making process. A key part of this increased confidence is via providing input data with reduced uncertainty, thereby decreasing the uncertainty of future predictions. The application of these principles to the two biggest societal challenges currently, COVID-19 and climate change, is discussed, and similarities and differences of approaches highlighted. It is foreseen that the role of metrology in enabling evidence-based decision making will become increasingly more important in future. Formal agreements and memoranda of understanding between the metrology community and the relevant global technical bodies are the best way to improve data quality, reliability and comparability, and therefore the confidence with which decisions can be made. Whilst uncertainties in data may be driven down as technology and metrology improves, they can never be eliminated entirely, and we must accept some level of uncertainty in our decision making.