Trade, communications, contracts and finances; all rely fundamentally on quality-assured measurements. RISE has initiated the development of same level quality assured measures for climate and as we already have for the meter and kilogram.
The climate is a hot topic, but complex. Several attempts to measure carbon footprint and green investment haven fallen short to reach a more climate smart and social sustainable society. A key drawback is that they are based on statistically aggregated data without valid and reliable measurements, which limits the possibility to support the needed change.
– With measurements that break silos – between societies as well as between local and global – there are great possibilities to take steps and develop measurements associated to our climate, and in turn, maneuver to a more climate smart and more socially sustainable society, says William P. Fisher, Jr., senior researcher at RISE.
A common language
RISE has analysed of one of the world’s largest carbon and greenhouse gas emissions data sets. Our goals were to demonstrate the value and viability of metrologically-attuned approaches to the data. If contributions to effective climate action could be measured, we can achieve new products and services in climate steering.
– It's about finding a common language, units and scales that ensures that we manage what we intend to. Not being limited by the way measurements are constructed today, says Charlotta Möller, project manager at RISE. When continuing analysing the climate data, we would encourage a broader perspective on the possible solutions to enable a more climate smart and socially sustainable society
Beyond the climate data
A climate smart and more socially sustainable society goes, of course, beyond analyses and measures of climate. RISE apply methodologies to ensure measurement quality in broader scope, and in turn provide measures for e.g., quality of life for individuals and for the society.
– Some of the work we are doing are groundbreaking in this field enabling us to take an international leading position to think global and act local. In this spirit, we look forward to engaging soon in productive collaborations with any and all who are interested, says Jeanette Melin, researcher at RISE.
Read the report Metrology for climate-neutral cities.