The steel industry is undergoing a profound transformation driven by global decarbonisation targets and increasing social and regulatory pressure to reduce CO2 emissions. As the primary raw material for steelmaking, iron ore accounts for approximately 5 per cent of the sector’s total emissions, making its role in this transition critical. Within mining operations, the pelletising process, particularly for hematite-based pellets, represents the largest source of emissions, with fossil fuel combustion contributing up to 60 per cent of CO2 output and fluxes might correspond up to 25 per cent. Efforts to replace coke breeze with charcoal have shown potential but face significant limitations: the charcoal industry cannot meet the required supply volumes while ensuring carbon neutrality, and pellet quality is often compromised due to differences in reactivity. Different challenges happen on the fluxes and additives, as little research has been done on this context. This study investigates alternative pathways that can be sourced in Europe and the Americas, evaluating their fixed carbon and ash content levels. It also takes into consideration the replacement of usual fluxes by iron carbonates, in attempt to reduce CO2 emissions coming from this step. The analysis also examines their impact on pellet quality and induration performance. The findings aim to provide actionable pathways for reducing emissions in pelletising without sacrificing product integrity, supporting the iron ore industry’s alignment with global sustainability goals and the steel sector’s net-zero roadmap.