Purpose: Building on the theories of social learning and social information processing, this paper aims to examine the effect of green servant leadership (GSL) on green voice behavior among staff working in Qatari higher education. In this relationship, the climate for green initiative (CFGI) was used to act as a mediating mechanism. Design/methodology/approach: Data in this study were collected from 275 staff working in Qatari higher education. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data. Findings: The results suggest that GSL positively influences green voice behavior, whereas CFGI mediated this link. Practical implications: The results can be beneficial to higher education pertaining to the importance of GSL in generating positive green behaviors such as green voice behavior. Furthermore, the results highlight the significant role CFGI plays in motivating such behaviors. Originality/value: To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study that examines the link between GSL and green voice behavior in the higher education context. Furthermore, research on CFGI has received limited attention so far.