Climate change poses a widespread threat that is gradually transforming the global socio-economic landscape. In Europe, characterized by relative affluence and progress, the effects are already noticeable, often impacting various segments of the population in distinct ways. For example, climate change can reduce jobs in certain sectors, such as polluting industries, or it can cause damage to agriculture. At the same time, the transition to a green economy can create job opportunities in the renewable energy and sustainability sectors, where specialized skills are required. The public perception of climate change plays a fundamental role in shaping the actions that societies take to address the issue: when individuals are both informed and concerned about the impacts of climate change, governments are more likely to adopt the necessary policies, such as implementing taxes and incentives to reduce CO2 emissions, providing training for green jobs, investing in resilient infrastructures. Based on the micro-data drawn from the European Social Survey conducted between 2023 and 2024, this study analyzes the opinions of European citizens on climate change, taking into account their socioeconomic characteristics, attitudes and political orientations. In addition to previous studies, this work highlights the existence of a negative correlation between citizens’ perception of climate change and the levels of CO2 emissions in the country considered.