Reducing health inequities for migrants is a huge challenge shared globally. Based on big data of China Migrants Dynamic Survey in 2017, this paper applied Ordered Logit models and Logit models to examine the effect of health education on the health of migrants. Propensity score matching and instrumental variable were also employed to solve the endogenous problem. This paper found a significant health promotion effect of health education on the health of migrants, which remained significant after a series of robustness check. Further analysis showed that consultative health education is more effective than nonconsultative health education. Meanwhile, the positive association between health education and migrants' health behavior was identified which provided empirical evidence for knowledge, attitude, and practices theory. Heterogeneity analyses supported that health education has a stronger effect on migrants who were female, elderly, highly educated, and did not have chronic diseases than on those who were male, younger, less educated, and had chronic diseases. This paper demonstrates that health education is an important health promotion factor for migrants empirically and that the government should take actions to provide sufficient and targeted health education for migrants to promote their health.

The transformation and upgrading of resource-exhausted cities are crucial for regional sustainable development, but how to help them overcome innovation challenges remains to be explored. Based on data from 2003 to 2016, this study used a difference-in-differences (DID) method to examine the impact of China’s support policy for resource-exhausted cities on urban innovation and tests for long-term mechanisms. The results indicate that the support policy significantly enhanced regional innovation levels. The mechanism tests showed that these policies promoted urban innovation through long-term mechanisms of increasing marketization and upgrading industrial structures. Further analysis revealed that the innovation-promoting effects of the policies were more significant in resource-exhausted cities located in the eastern region, those not dependent on coal, those with a low reliance on extractive industries, and those with a favorable talent environment. The findings suggest that the government should provide policy support to achieve the transformation, upgrading, and sustainable development of resource-exhausted cities through urban innovation.

Purpose: This study examines the impact of the digital economy on enterprises carbon reduction from a micro-firm perspective.Design/methodology/approach: Drawing on China’s National E-commerce Demonstration Cities policy, this study utilizes a sample from the 2007–2015 China Tax Survey, which covers millions of enterprises, and applies a staggered difference-in-differences model for analysis.Findings: The results indicate that digital economic development significantly promotes enterprise carbon reduction. Mechanism analysis reveals that green innovation and production efficiency are key channels for this impact. Furthermore, heterogeneity analysis suggests that the emission reduction effect is more pronounced in state-owned enterprises, cities with less government regulation, highly polluting industries, and highly competitive sectors.Originality/value: This study emphasizes the significance of digital economy in enhancing enterprise carbon reduction. It provides a theoretical framework for enterprises to respond to sustainable development.

While corporate ESG performance has garnered increasing attention, few studies have examined how independent directors’ social networks effect ESG. Using data from 2011–2023 China’s A-share listed firms and employing social network analysis to measure independent directors’ network centrality (IDNC), this study investigates its impact on ESG performance. We find that IDNC significantly improves firms’ ESG performance, with consistent effects across environmental, social, and governance dimensions. Mechanism tests show that this effect operates by promoting green innovation, increasing philanthropic giving, strengthening governance structures, and attracting analyst tracking. In addition, this positive effect is stronger in state-owned enterprises, companies with executives with military experience and overseas backgrounds, and companies with separate CEO and chairman positions. This study deepens the social network literature in corporate governance and provides policymakers with insights to optimize independent director selectivity and promote sustainable performance.