Elevated atmosphere CO_2 concentration (e[CO_2]) and its greenhouse effect are posing significant challenges to global agricultural productivity and also food and nutrition security. Studying the response of plants to changes in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations is critical to understanding and predicting the impact of future global climate change on plant adaptation and evolution, as well as crop yields. Previous studies on carbon dioxide provide insight into the effects of e[CO_2] on leaf photosynthesis, gas exchange, carbohydrate dynamics, and plant growth. In this review, we focus on the effects of e[CO_2] on plant growth and development and the underlying molecular mechanisms. We mainly concentrate on reviewing the regulation of plant growth and development, the morphological structure and their internal physiological and biochemical functions by e[CO_2]. Finally, the future research on plant developmental response to climate change is discussed and prospected.