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On-site carbon capturing, storage, and utilization (CCSU) has proven its' potential to reduce CO 2 emissions from large-scale fossil fuel combustion systems. However, the integration of CCSU in community-scale on-site energy generation applications such as district energy systems has not been comprehensively explored in literature. This study aims to propose a life cycle thinking-based framework to compare and prioritize emission reduction strategies that include CCSU and renewable energy technologies to develop zero-emission community energy systems. The framework incorporates multi-criteria decision-making approaches to rank and prioritize community energy emission mitigation strategies. A scenario-based method was employed in assessing the performance of CCSU technologies along with other compatible alternative energy choices. The framework was demonstrated for all the provinces in Canada. Results show that CCSU is more favorable for regions with high dependence on fossil fuel-based energy sources. CCSU could reach the commercial scale if the cost of emission avoided drops below the cost of CO 2 emissions.. The findings of this study are geared towards providing practical decision-support tools for stakeholders who hold responsible for policy and investment decisions in community energy. The developed framework is a generalized technique that provides the flexibility to be employed in any location across the globe. • Emission planning based on techno-economic and environmental performance. • Prospect of CCSU rises if cost of emission reduction drops below cost of emissions. • Cost of infrastructure takes up more than 70% of overall CCSU project costs. • Energy mix, carbon tax, and infrastructure impact emission planning decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]