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.

做出具有广泛社会和经济影响的决策极其困难。当未来行动选择所依据的数据不稳定或来源不确定时，尤其如此。这封信讨论了作为测量科学的计量学在提供稳定、可比较和使用标准化方法生成的数据方面的好处，从而增强对决策过程的信心。这种增强信心的一个关键部分是通过提供不确定性降低的输入数据，从而降低未来预测的不确定性。讨论了这些原则在当前两大社会挑战 COVID-19 和气候变化中的应用，并强调了方法的异同。可以预见，计量学在促进循证决策方面的作用将在未来变得越来越重要。计量界与相关全球技术机构之间的正式协议和谅解备忘录是提高数据质量、可靠性和可比性的最佳方式，因此可以提高决策的信心。虽然数据的不确定性可能会随着技术和计量学的改进而降低，但它们永远无法完全消除，我们必须在决策中接受一定程度的不确定性。因此，可以做出决策的信心。虽然数据的不确定性可能会随着技术和计量学的改进而降低，但它们永远无法完全消除，我们必须在决策中接受一定程度的不确定性。因此，可以做出决策的信心。虽然数据的不确定性可能会随着技术和计量学的改进而降低，但它们永远无法完全消除，我们必须在决策中接受一定程度的不确定性。