有鑑於全球暖化及氣候變遷問題日益嚴峻而迫切，單靠國家層級已不足以克其功，因此近年來國際的發展趨勢是在國際多層次體系中，綜合國際、國家、區域、地方層次在內，使用盡可能有效用的、有效率的、並且在作用上分工的各種工具。在此，地方層級的重要性不容小覷，全球許多地方政府，包括城市和鄉鎮在內，行動日漸積極，甚至致力於扮演領航者的角色。我國地方政府近年來也積極響應國際趨勢，陸續頒布若干因應氣候變遷之地方自治法規。不過從法制面向而言，這項趨勢仍有一項根本的法律問題尚待釐清：亦即全球暖化及氣候變遷問題是否屬於地方自治事項，或者是專屬於中央立法事項？由於我國憲法第111條採取「均權理論」，中央與地方權限劃分標準並不明確，因此上述問題並非一目瞭然或至明之理，而是有待進一步釐清與探討。本文乃藉由探討德國關於氣候變遷與地方自治之晚近發展，並參酌我國具有代表性之主要學說見解，嘗試尋繹出可行的答案。

Because global warming and climate change become increasingly severe and urgent, the current international trend is to use various possible efficient and effective tools at all levels, including international, national, regional and local levels. The importance of local government herein may not be underestimated. In the worldwide, many local governments, namely cities and towns, take measures more and more actively. Some in Taiwan respond positively to the international trend in recent years, too, and have promulgated a few local legislations in response to climate change. But there is still a fundamental legal issue to be clarified: are the issues of global warming and climate change matters of local autonomy, or are they the central legislative matters exclusively? Since our Constitution adopts the equal division of powers between the central and local government, the Criteria for the classification is not clear, so the above problem needs the further research and discussion. So this article studies the relevant controversy and legislations in Germany, discusses representative theories in Taiwan, and tries to find the answer of the question.