Metrology Matters: The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Case Study Project

Metrology in Action: The SDGs Case Study Project

 

About the project

The BIPM has led a project in collaboration with its long-standing partners, OIML and UNIDO, to develop a publication that highlights over 60 case studies promoting the role of metrology in achieving the UN’s 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. This Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Case Study Project is intended to strengthen policymakers' and stakeholders' awareness of how reliable measurements underpin sustainable, industrial, and social development.

Collected from national laboratories across the globe, these scientific, industrial, and legal metrology case studies emphasize the foundational aspects, benefits, challenges, and quantifiable impacts of metrology that underpin sustainable development and make a better world.

The publication

The main publication presents the rationale for metrology to provide context for a walk through the metrology case studies that support the individual SDGs, followed by key takeaways from the case studies. The publication is also available on the UNIDO Knowledge Hub webpage and the OIML website.

Read the publication →

Featured selection

Featured Case Studies

The following are the six featured case studies from the SDGs Case Study Project that have demonstrated clear challenges, needs, and opportunities, including national or sectoral relevance, that are being addressed by metrological interventions and/or solutions.

These case studies also describe quantifiable, data-based outcomes that support SDG implementation, national policy development and/or international cooperation. A featured case study from the Intra-Africa Metrology System (AFRIMETS), Asia Pacific Metrology Programme (APMP), the Euro-Asian Cooperation of National Metrological Institutions (COOMET), the European Association of National Metrology Institutes (EURAMET), the Gulf Association for Metrology (GULFMET), and the Inter-American Metrology System (SIM) is presented.

All Case Studies

The following compendium provides all the case studies that represent a breadth of activities from a range of institutes and organizations that demonstrate how accurate measurements—from local to global—are essential to a better, more sustainable world. These represent only a very small sample of the no doubt countless activities, projects, and programs undertaken by the National Metrology Institutes (NMIs) and Designated Institutes (DIs) over the recent past to support the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Together, this collection of studies represents a “snapshot in time” of metrology programs at various stages of development and covers a wide range of metrology topics that address the UN SDGs in different ways.

Many of these case studies represent current and ongoing metrological activities, interventions, and solutions to address specific technological and societal challenges related to sustainable development. Others represent early-stage activities in countries and economies with emerging metrology systems that could significantly impact sustainable development in the near future. This collection is intended to represent not only the breadth of activities but also to reflect different stages of growth and evolution in the metrological programmes of many NMIs and DIs.

All case studies are grouped by six main topics:

It is hoped that the Case Study Project may inspire new initiatives and collaborations to achieve a shared outcome towards the SDGs. These activities are anticipated to evolve, and updated case studies will be provided here annually. NMIs and DIs are invited to contribute to the collection by submitting their own case studies.

Call for contributions

The BIPM has opened a call for contributions from NMIs and DIs of new case studies that illustrate how metrology interventions and accurate, metrologically traceable measurements support the achievement of the UN SDGs. Using the form below, please answer each question and briefly describe the challenge or opportunity addressed, the metrological intervention or solution, and the quantifiable impacts.

Form

A staff member from the BIPM Liaison and Communications Department will contact you for any further information. This webpage will remain open to updates and additions, including new NMI and DI case studies through 2030.

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to all the authors and contributors of all the case studies. Without their work and contributions, this effort would not be possible.