Environmental sustainability in Somalia: the role of clean cooking energy and remittances on ecological footprints

Environmental degradation in Somalia, driven primarily by reliance on biomass fuels and limited access to clean energy, poses a significant challenge to sustainability. However, the impact of clean cooking energy and remittances on environmental outcomes remains underexplored in this context. In this regard, this study examines the impact of access to clean cooking energy and remittances on environmental degradation in Somalia over the period 1990–2022. The study employs a novel supremum right-tail Augmented Dickey–Fuller unit root test, time-varying Granger causality analysis, and a machine learning approach using Kernel Regularised Least Squares (KRLS). Date-stamping results reveal episodes of explosive behaviour in the ecological footprint (2006–2009), clean cooking energy (2004–2020), and remittances (2013–2014). The time-varying Granger causality results indicate that clean cooking energy Granger-causes the ecological footprint during two periods (2006–2008 and 2019–2020), with a peak episode in 2019–2020. Additionally, causality from remittances to the ecological footprint is observed in two periods (2004–2005 and 2006–2009), with a peak during 2006–2009. The KRLS results reveal that access to clean cooking energy and remittances improves environmental quality by reducing the ecological footprint in Somalia. Policymakers should prioritise investments in renewable energy technologies, such as solar cookers, biogas systems, and improved cookstoves, particularly in rural areas, to reduce dependence on firewood and charcoal. Additionally, policies should encourage the channelling of remittances into sustainability-focused investments through mechanisms like tax incentives or matching grants.