In the Netherlands the market share of sustainably produced timber has risen to 75%. In terms of sustainability, tropical timber (40,4%) is still lagging behind other kinds, though, mainly because of the higher price of certified timber. There are a number of financial instruments available for achieving 100% sustainability of the Dutch timber sector, including EU import tariffs on non-sustainable timber and a reduced VAT rate. Since 2013 the Green Deal ‘Promoting sustainable forest management’ has been successful in working towards greater use of sustainably produced timber in the Netherlands. At the request of the NGO Stichting Bewust met Hout and under the terms of the Green Deal, CE Delft has investigated the financial policy options available for achieving a breakthrough towards a truly sustainable timber sector.