As the demand for automotive materials grows more stringent in environmental considerations, it becomes imperative to conduct thorough environmental impact assessments of dual-phase automotive strip steel (DP steel). However, the absence of detailed and comparable studies has left the carbon footprint of DP steel and its sources largely unknown. This study addresses this gap by establishing a cradle-to-gate life cycle model for DP steel, encompassing on-site production, energy systems, and upstream processes. The analysis identifies and scrutinizes key factors influencing the carbon footprint, with a focus on upstream mining, transportation, and on-site production processes. The results indicate that the carbon footprint of DP steel is 2.721 kgCO2-eq/kgDP, with on-site processes contributing significantly at 88.1%. Sensitivity analysis is employed to assess the impact of changes in resource structure, on-site energy, CO2 emission factors, and byproduct recovery on the carbon footprint. Proposals for mitigating carbon emissions in DP steel production include enhancing process gas recovery, transitioning to cleaner energy sources, and reducing the hot metal-to-steel ratio. These findings offer valuable insights for steering steel production towards environmentally sustainable practices.