Every time you commission one of our illustrators and animators, you are also helping to make a healthier planet.

Our values

For us business is about a lot more than looking after our clients and making a profit. We aim to use business as a force for good. Our goal is to help mitigate climate change and to create a more inclusive and sustainable global economy.

This page tells you about the actions we take, the groups we support, some positive outcomes, and the independently audited governance that ensures we continue to deliver on our promises. We show where our policies align with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

by WeForest - Making Earth Cooler

Environment & community

We donate 1%+ of turnover to making a healthier, fairer planet

In February 2013 IllustrationX joined 1% for the Planet, a global alliance of businesses financially committed to creating a healthier planet.

Every year we donate a minimum of 1% of our turnover to support our Ten Million Trees program. To date we have enabled the life of over 1.7 million trees in Zambia and the Ethiopian Rift Valley. These trees are growing on 1 136 hectares that have a potential to sequester approximately 172 941 tCO2e over their entire lifetime- equivalent to about 96,078 flights between NY and London.

You can read WeForest’s latest report on their activities on our behalf in the Copperbelt here.

This action is aligned to UN SDG 13.

by WeForest - Making Earth Cooler

You can grow a tree for just 50¢ to help combat climate change.

It's easy - find out how here.

Helping to reduce poverty and increase access to education

So far we are doing this in a really small way, but it is making a real difference to some peoples’ lives. For example, we install beehives so that the people who nurse the trees in our Ten Million Trees reforestation program, can sell the honey. This has more than doubled their average income and enabled many families to send their children to school for the first time.

This action is aligned to UN SDG 1 .

by WeForesr - Making Earth Cooler

We have been a Carbon Negative Business since 2013

In 2012 IllustrationX decided to do what it can to reduce the carbon impact of our business. Since 2013 our offices have been carbon negative and we’re staying that way.

Our offices use electricity generated from renewable sources, including wind and solar, wherever available.

This action is aligned to UN SDGs 12 and 13.

Governance

As a BCorp, sustainability and inclusivity are hard wired

Our commitment to building a more sustainable and inclusive economy is hard wired into our way of doing business.

In 2022 we became a Certified B Corporation®, aligning our business to a nonprofit network that is transforming the global economy to benefit all people, communities, and the planet. B Lab regularly measures how our governance impacts our workers, community, environment and customers. This action helps to ensure that we continue to meet the highest verified standards of social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability.

You can view our latest B Lab score here.

People

our customers, artists, agents and support staff

Our approach is transparent, professional, fair and ethical

We strive to provide services of exceptional quality with efficiency, diligence, integrity, transparency, punctuality and commitment.

IllustrationX is a member of the Association of Illustrators (AOI), and a member of the Society of Artists' Agents (SAA), Society of Illustrators and the Artist Management Association, and adheres to the conditions of membership of all four.

Specifically, we aim to:

Provide honest, conflict-free advice and charge fair fees.
Add value to every aspect of the job, service and relationship, always seeking to exceed expectations and maximise the prospects of success and satisfaction.
charge fair fees.
Consistently implement our professional approach to win and retain the trust and loyalty of our customers.
Practice ethical marketing and ensure we maintain our clients’ data privacy and security.

This action is aligned to UN SDG 9.

Resources to build a more inclusive creative industry

We support Agents for Change | Diversifying Illustration, a movement that provides mentoring, events and resources for under-represented people of all ages, helping to build a more equal and diverse creative industry.

This action is aligned to UN SDG 10.

Regular podcasts that aim to grow creativity and wellbeing

We sponsor top illustrator Ben Tallon‘s insightful and entertaining podcasts on The Creative Condition. We’re delighted (but not surprised) that he has had over 250,000 listens around the world.

You can find the podcasts here.

This action is aligned to UN SDGs 3 and 9.

Nurturing the talent and inclusivity of our illustrators

We nurture the potential of every illustrator and animator, helping them to grow their talent, financial security and career, and so increase their job satisfaction.

We provide help and support to under represented groups to build a more diverse industry.

This action is aligned to UN SDGs 8 and 10.

Promoting the job satisfaction and wellness of our agents

We are a caring business and think of our agents and artists as a family. We build close working relationships with each other. We love what we do.

We work hard to monitor and contribute to our employees’ financial security, health & safety, wellness, career development, job engagement and satisfaction.

IllustrationX is committed to LGBTQ+ equality. We foster a working environment in which everyone is included, respected, and empowered to fulfil their potential. We support individuals with barriers to employment.

This action is aligned to UN SDGs 5, 8 and 10.

Caroline Church