An integrated model of governance for sustainability.

The term “Anthropocene” qualifies a human epoch characterized by the apparent influence of humans on the Earth dynamics dramatically changing the conditions of equilibrium at biophysical and social level. Current governance systems do not seem to fit the needs of the new epoch. Scientists and professionals from all over the world are debating about the appropriate governance in the Anthropocene, adopting different disciplinary perspectives. With the purpose of highlighting the contribution of a systems perspective, this essay aims to promote discussion about the need of integrating the multiple dimensions that should be considered in the framework of governance for sustainability. We embrace a systems view of sustainability and sustainable development (Pearce, Atkinson and Dubourg, 1994; Clayton and Radcliff, 1996; Barile et al., 2014), also contributing to highlight cybersistemic possibilities (Espejo, 2014, 2015; Espinosa, 2015; Schwaninger, 2001, 2015; Ison and Schlindwein, 2015). Among the various models that interpret socio-economic phenomena by integrating multiple dimensions, the Triple-helix model seems to offer an important contribution (Etzkowitz, 1998; Etzkowitz and Leyesdorff, 2000). Although developed to sustain the thesis of the so-called “third mission” of Universities in the governance of socio-economic innovation, the model has been used in several disciplinary domains to different aims. In the field of sustainability, it has been elaborated in several domains (Leydesdorff and Etzkowitz, 2003; Lombardi, 2012) also including further elements in a fashion of quadruple and even quintuple helix models (Carayannis, Barth and Campbell, 2012). The use of the model in the field of enquiry of sustainability, however, does not seem to offer evidences or examples useful to understand its real contribution. Hence, our aim is to propose an elaborated version of the model providing an example that highlights its interpretative potential. More specifically, our purpose is to offer a possible evidence of the general reasoning related to the use of the model as a possible reference in the development of a governance model for sustainable development.