The period of changes in Slovak society after 1989 can be characterized as an era of rapid and sometimes bewildering alternations in the forces and conditions that shape societal life. The political change has been accompanied by the swift advance of democracy and relatively rapid spread of market-based economy. In spite of some positive characteristics of development (e.g. improved situation in the environment as a consequence of economic recession, higher life expectancy, public participation in decision-making), the analysis of an overall development show that the society in many directions (e.g. changes in consumption patterns, low energy efficiency, social pathology) is not oriented to the values serving the environmentally, socially and economically balanced i.e. sustainable development.