ABSTRACT
The “Anthropocene” is a term formulated by Earth scientists to claim that we have entered a new geological epoch: human influences have become so great that they are affecting “whole Earth dynamics” through a range of biophysical and social processes leading to complex global changes. Congruent with these global changes, there is increasing evidence that “governance systems” too often are not fit for contemporary circumstances. Governance itself is a cybersystemic concept from the Greek verb “to steer” which means engaging with, and responding to, feedback from multiple sources in both the social and biophysical worlds so as to chart purposeful courses of action. Research is presented that evidences the need for innovations in: organisational/institutional forms so as to mediate between vertical and horizontal governance; practices that pay urgent attention to framing of initial starting conditions for change processes; and inventing and enacting means to secure the robust institutionalisation of cybersystemic governance.
