In its main report "The Great Transformation", the German Advisory Council on Global Change (WBGU) pointed out the special role of research and education on the way to a climate-friendly, sustainable society. At the University of Tübingen, research on sustainable development plays an integral role and takes place in the various departments as well as in interdisciplinary and disciplinary contexts. 

As part of the Excellence Strategy, new impulses for research in the field of sustainable development and thematic priorities have been set through Platform 3 Environmental Systems. Furthermore, numerours research projects at both the International Center for Ethics in the Sciences and Humanities (IZEW) and the Competence Center for Sustainable Development (CCSD) contribute to sustainable research. In transdisciplinary research projects, the university collaborates with actors from politics, business and civil society to scientifically address real-world issues to jointly building knowledge and develop solution strategies for concrete sustainability challenges. 

In order to inspire young researchers to engage in exploration on sustainable development, the university awards the Sustainability Award for student theses every year.