The awareness of the society that it is responsible for what the nature looks like, as well as for developing human relations, results in the popularization of the idea of sustainable development. The aim of thos study is to present an analysis of the literature on the subject focused on the description of the reality and possible directions of changes in education, considering it as global challenges in three aspects of sustainable development: the economic, ecological and social. The greatest challenge today is to create a multidimensional view of a constantly deepening social and environmental crisis. The change that should be made in education should concern the processes that are aimed at combining the three aspects and at balancing their importance. The essence of education for sustainable development was shown in shaping the values, empathy and awareness that are needed to act for society, as well as the environment and the economy on a global scale.