Ecological civilization in a narrow sense is one of the realistic forms of civilization alongside material civilization, political civilization and spiritual civilization. It emphasizes the degree of civilization that human beings have reached when dealing with the relationship with nature. Ecological civilization is the sum total of the cultural achievements of the harmonious unity and sustainable development of man and nature, man and social environment formed in the course of human historical development, and it is a state of communication and integration between man and nature. It not only shows that human beings should treat nature in a more civilized rather than barbaric way, but also reflects a brand-new perspective on the relationship between man and nature in terms of cultural values, mode of production, lifestyle and social structure. Building ecological civilization is the common cause of all countries and regions in the world. It is of great practical and far-reaching strategic significance to build an ecological civilization in China. Promoting the construction of ecological civilization is of decisive significance for solving various problems in China's progress. Since the reform and opening up, China's economy has developed rapidly, creating a miracle that attracts worldwide attention and making brilliant achievements. However, the cost of resources and environment in development is too high, the contradiction of imbalance and disharmony in development is prominent, the gap between urban and rural areas, regional differences and income distribution is widening, ecological degradation and environmental pollution are intensifying, people's livelihood issues are prominent, and negative phenomena in the moral and cultural fields seriously restrict the smooth realization of the grand goal of modernization. How to solve the problem, get out of the predicament and realize a virtuous circle is related to the overall situation of reform and development. It should be noted that these contradictions and problems are brought about by traditional industrialization. If we use the ideas and concepts of industrial civilization to deal with them, it will not only help, but will deepen the predicament. Only by transcending traditional industrial civilization with ecological civilization, adhering to the concept and thinking of ecological civilization, and making overall evaluation, reasonable regulation and comprehensive management of contradictions and problems in development can we turn adversity into prosperity, draw inferences from others, break through bottlenecks, and achieve comprehensive, coordinated and sustainable development at a new starting point.