<p>Pellet ores are recognized as an effective route for energy saving and carbon mitigation in ironmaking, yet systematic life cycle assessment (LCA) of pellet production remains limited. Thus, the environmental impacts and carbon-reduction potential of optimization measures across different pelletizing processes were quantified using a cradle-to-gate LCA approach. The results indicated that the predominant environmental burdens associated with pellet production were caused by iron concentrate, electricity, fuel, and direct emissions. Overall, the straight grate (SG) process exhibited lower impacts across multiple categories compared to the grate kiln (GK) process. The greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from SG and GK were 118.51 and 146.78 kg CO₂ equivalent per 1000 kg of pellet ores, respectively. Sensitivity analysis revealed that iron ore concentrate, fuel, and electricity were the key factors in the pelletizing process. Compared to conventional levels, utilizing secondary resources, optimizing energy structure, and implementing advanced carbon capture and storage technologies could reduce GHG emissions from SG and GK to 32.89% and 34.81%, respectively.</p>