Ecosocialism attempts to include the current environmental challenge in democratic socialist theory.  The movement has emerged from the debate between Marxism , social democracy, and environmentalism, taking ideas from each area.

While ecosocialist theory is opposed to traditional Marxism, it is not anti-Marxist in nature.  The theory borrows significantly from more modern Western Marxism and current socialist thought.

The ecosocialists argue that in order to improve society the government should intervene.  The state must develop a more egalitarian society, while also respecting fundamental environmentalist principles such as conservation.

Ecosocialists stress the need for both democratic autonomy and the satisfaction of human needs through production.  However, the production of goods is one of the main causes of modern environmental problems.

As a result, many ecosocialists reject the materialism of both capitalism and communism.  However, their own theories, if not Marxist, are certainly leftist.  Ecosocialists realize their ideas demand greater social equality, and argue for such changes as greater redistribution of income, a guaranteed minimum income, and a just division of labor.

Also, ecosocialists see capitalism as the cause of many current environmental problems.  According to them, the expansionary and competitive nature of capitalism has led to the destruction of the environment.

Though many Greens may ignore the environmental problems caused specifically by capitalism, the ecosocialists take a class perspective on the issue. Some ecosocialists argue that the accumulation of larger amounts of wealth into fewer hands has been one of the primary causes of the destruction of the environment.  They also say that it is capitalism, and not simply industrialism, that is responsible for the environmental problems we currently face.