How on Earth: Flourishing in a Not-for-Profit World by 2050

Abstract: In this book, we outline a model of a non-capitalist market economy based on not-for-profit forms of business. This work presents both a critique of the current economic system and a vision of a more socially, economically, and ecologically sustainable economy. The point of departure is the purpose and profit-orientation embedded in the legal forms used by businesses (e.g., for-profit or not-for-profit) and the ramifications of this for global sustainability challenges such as environmental pollution, resource use, climate change, and economic inequality. We document the rapid rise of not-for-profit forms of business in the global economy and offer a conceptual framework and an analytical lens through which to view these relatively new economic actors and their potential for transforming the economy. The book explores how a market consisting of only or mostly not-for-profit forms of business might lead to better financial circulation, economic equality, social well-being, and environmental regeneration as compared to for-profit markets.