Climate crisis necessitates urgent solutions, as consumer behavior significantly contributes to its causes. This ethnographic, qualitative study explores the impact of greed on green behavior by analyzing 24 interviews with German-speaking hikers in alpine mountains. Three key findings emerged. First, a conceptual framework identifies thematic and schematic patterns linking greed, hiker-driven system innovation, and green behavior. Second, eight greed domains are outlined: Materialism, Knowledge, Food, Performance, Friendship, and the newly discovered Leisurism, which includes Nature, Quiescence, and Physical Activities. Materialism and Food are the most detrimental domains, whereas Knowledge previously seen as positive can sometimes foster opposing behaviors. Leisurism highlights how comfort and mental relaxation can inadvertently reduce green behavior. These findings underscore the need for further tourism research to address the influence of greed on sustainability. This study offers insights and implications for theory and practice, advancing our understanding of human behavior in the context of climate crises.