Marx and Engels, taking capitalist mode of production as the object, put forward basic principles on ecological construction: humanization of nature as inorganic body is the premise of human society existence, and harmony and unity between man and nature is the core of the ecological civilization; breakage of metabolism relationship between man and nature, and man and man caused by the capitalist mode of production is the main reason for the capitalist ecological crisis; and elimination of private ownership and establishment of communism in the free man coalition are the final way out for solving ecological crisis. Ecological thoughts of Marx and Engels are the theoretical basis and value criterion of the ecological civilization construction in contemporary China. The Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core inherited Marx and Engels’ ecological thoughts and raised ecological civilization view of “ecological prosperity leading to prosperity of civilization, while ecological decline leading to decline of civilization”; ecological development view of “lucid waters and lush mountains being invaluable assets”; and ecological value of “building a community of common destiny for all mankind”. These are the innovation and development of the ecological thoughts of Marx and Engels.