An exploration of the need for innovative mechanisms of governance in
an era when human actions are major drivers of environmental change.
The onset of the Anthropocene, an era in which human actions have become
major drivers of change on a planetary scale, has increased the
complexity of socioecological systems. Complex systems pose novel
challenges for governance because of their high levels of connectivity,
nonlinear dynamics, directional patterns of change, and emergent
properties. Meeting these challenges will require the development of new
intellectual capital. In this book, Oran Young argues that to achieve
sustainable outcomes in a world of complex systems, we will need
governance systems that are simultaneously durable enough to be
effective in guiding behavior and agile enough to adapt to rapidly
changing circumstances.
While some insights from past research on governance remain valid in
this setting, Young argues that we need new social capital to supplement
mainstream regulatory approaches that feature rule making with an
emphasis on compliance and enforcement. He explores the uses of goal
setting as a governance strategy, the idea of principled governance, and
the role of what is often called good governance in meeting the
challenges of the Anthropocene. Drawing on his long experience operating
on the science/policy frontier, Young calls for more effective
collaboration between analysts and practitioners in creating and
implementing governance systems capable of producing sustainable
outcomes in a world of complex systems.