The rapid expansion of global supply chains, fueled by air freight logistics, export-driven development, and resource extraction, poses significant environmental challenges. This situation requires an urgent assessment of its impact on our ecological footprint. This paper examines the effects of air freight volume, export performance, and natural resource rents on Malaysia's ecological footprint using time series data from 1980 to 2021.To identify the most influential factors, the study employs the Gray relational analysis optimization technique. Additionally, the study employs the Auto regressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model to evaluate both the long-term and short-term impacts of these variables on environmental degradation. This study provides significant insights and highlights limitations and suggests future research directions. This study bridges the gap between optimization techniques and environmental analysis by introducing a novel multi-method framework. This framework will assist practitioners, stakeholders, and policymakers in making informed decisions and establishing a sustainable growth network.