diff --git a/examples/Runfile.yml b/examples/Runfile.yml
index 8c632d7..7e49d37 100644
--- a/examples/Runfile.yml
+++ b/examples/Runfile.yml
@@ -8,6 +8,9 @@ includes:
   run2: 
     runfile: ./run2/Runfile
 
+env:
+  global_k1: "v1"
+
 tasks:
   cook:
     env:
diff --git a/pkg/runfile/runfile.go b/pkg/runfile/runfile.go
index 8354793..8353048 100644
--- a/pkg/runfile/runfile.go
+++ b/pkg/runfile/runfile.go
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@ type Runfile struct {
 
 	Version  string                 `json:"version,omitempty"`
 	Includes map[string]IncludeSpec `json:"includes"`
+	Env      EnvVar                 `json:"env,omitempty"`
+	DotEnv   []string               `json:"dotEnv,omitempty"`
 	Tasks    map[string]Task        `json:"tasks"`
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/runfile/task-parser.go b/pkg/runfile/task-parser.go
index b3708ad..30f1d0c 100644
--- a/pkg/runfile/task-parser.go
+++ b/pkg/runfile/task-parser.go
@@ -21,6 +21,21 @@ type ParsedTask struct {
 
 // func ParseTask(ctx Context, rf *Runfile, taskName string) (*ParsedTask, error) {
 func ParseTask(ctx Context, rf *Runfile, task Task) (*ParsedTask, *Error) {
+	globalEnv := make(map[string]string)
+
+	if rf.Env != nil {
+		genv, err := parseEnvVars(ctx, rf.Env, EvaluationArgs{
+			Shell: nil,
+			Env:   nil,
+		})
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		for k, v := range genv {
+			globalEnv[k] = v
+		}
+	}
+
 	for _, requirement := range task.Requires {
 		if requirement == nil {
 			continue
@@ -29,7 +44,7 @@ func ParseTask(ctx Context, rf *Runfile, task Task) (*ParsedTask, *Error) {
 		if requirement.Sh != nil {
 			cmd := createCommand(ctx, cmdArgs{
 				shell:      []string{"sh", "-c"},
-				env:        nil,
+				env:        ToEnviron(globalEnv),
 				workingDir: filepath.Dir(rf.attrs.RunfilePath),
 				cmd:        *requirement.Sh,
 				stdout:     fn.Must(os.OpenFile(os.DevNull, os.O_WRONLY, 0o755)),
@@ -79,20 +94,20 @@ func ParseTask(ctx Context, rf *Runfile, task Task) (*ParsedTask, *Error) {
 		return nil, TaskWorkingDirectoryInvalid.WithErr(fmt.Errorf("path is not a directory")).WithMetadata("working-dir", *task.Dir)
 	}
 
-	dotenvPaths, err := resolveDotEnvFiles(filepath.Dir(rf.attrs.RunfilePath), task.DotEnv...)
+	taskDotEnvPaths, err := resolveDotEnvFiles(filepath.Dir(rf.attrs.RunfilePath), task.DotEnv...)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	dotenvVars, err := parseDotEnvFiles(dotenvPaths...)
+	taskDotenvVars, err := parseDotEnvFiles(taskDotEnvPaths...)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
 	// INFO: keys from task.Env will override those coming from dotenv files, when duplicated
-	envVars, err := parseEnvVars(ctx, task.Env, EvaluationArgs{
+	taskEnvVars, err := parseEnvVars(ctx, task.Env, EvaluationArgs{
 		Shell: task.Shell,
-		Env:   dotenvVars,
+		Env:   fn.MapMerge(globalEnv, taskDotenvVars),
 	})
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -110,7 +125,7 @@ func ParseTask(ctx Context, rf *Runfile, task Task) (*ParsedTask, *Error) {
 	return &ParsedTask{
 		Shell:      task.Shell,
 		WorkingDir: *task.Dir,
-		Env:        fn.MapMerge(dotenvVars, envVars),
+		Env:        fn.MapMerge(globalEnv, taskDotenvVars, taskEnvVars),
 		Commands:   commands,
 	}, nil
 }
diff --git a/pkg/runfile/task-parser_test.go b/pkg/runfile/task-parser_test.go
index ddefa75..40a75da 100644
--- a/pkg/runfile/task-parser_test.go
+++ b/pkg/runfile/task-parser_test.go
@@ -631,8 +631,170 @@ echo "hi"
 		},
 	}
 
+	testGlobalEnvVars := []test{
+		{
+			name: "1. testing global env key-value item",
+			args: args{
+				ctx: nil,
+				rf: &Runfile{
+					Env: map[string]any{
+						"k1": "v1",
+					},
+					Tasks: map[string]Task{
+						"test": {
+							ignoreSystemEnv: true,
+							Commands: []any{
+								"echo hi",
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+				taskName: "test",
+			},
+			want: &ParsedTask{
+				Shell:      []string{"sh", "-c"},
+				WorkingDir: fn.Must(os.Getwd()),
+				Env: map[string]string{
+					"k1": "v1",
+				},
+				Commands: []CommandJson{
+					{Command: "echo hi"},
+				},
+			},
+			wantErr: false,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "2. testing global env key-shell value",
+			args: args{
+				ctx: nil,
+				rf: &Runfile{
+					Env: map[string]any{
+						"k1": map[string]any{
+							"sh": "echo hi",
+						},
+					},
+					Tasks: map[string]Task{
+						"test": {
+							ignoreSystemEnv: true,
+							Commands: []any{
+								"echo hi",
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+				taskName: "test",
+			},
+			want: &ParsedTask{
+				Shell:      []string{"sh", "-c"},
+				WorkingDir: fn.Must(os.Getwd()),
+				Env: map[string]string{
+					"k1": "hi",
+				},
+				Commands: []CommandJson{
+					{Command: "echo hi"},
+				},
+			},
+			wantErr: false,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "3. testing global env-var default value",
+			args: args{
+				ctx: nil,
+				rf: &Runfile{
+					Env: map[string]any{
+						"k1": map[string]any{
+							"default": map[string]any{
+								"value": "default-value",
+							},
+						},
+					},
+					Tasks: map[string]Task{
+						"test": {
+							ignoreSystemEnv: true,
+							Commands: []any{
+								"echo hi",
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+				taskName: "test",
+			},
+			want: &ParsedTask{
+				Shell:      []string{"sh", "-c"},
+				WorkingDir: fn.Must(os.Getwd()),
+				Env: map[string]string{
+					"k1": "default-value",
+				},
+				Commands: []CommandJson{
+					{Command: "echo hi"},
+				},
+			},
+			wantErr: false,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "4. overriding global env var at task level",
+			args: args{
+				ctx: nil,
+				rf: &Runfile{
+					Env: map[string]any{
+						"k1": "v1",
+					},
+					Tasks: map[string]Task{
+						"test": {
+							ignoreSystemEnv: true,
+							Env: EnvVar{
+								"k1": "task-level-v1",
+							},
+							Commands: []any{
+								"echo hi",
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+				taskName: "test",
+			},
+			want: &ParsedTask{
+				Shell:      []string{"sh", "-c"},
+				WorkingDir: fn.Must(os.Getwd()),
+				Env: map[string]string{
+					"k1": "task-level-v1",
+				},
+				Commands: []CommandJson{
+					{Command: "echo hi"},
+				},
+			},
+			wantErr: false,
+		},
+
+		{
+			name: "5. required global env var",
+			args: args{
+				ctx: nil,
+				rf: &Runfile{
+					Env: map[string]any{
+						"k1": map[string]any{
+							"required": true,
+						},
+					},
+					Tasks: map[string]Task{
+						"test": {
+							ignoreSystemEnv: true,
+							Commands: []any{
+								"echo hi",
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+				taskName: "test",
+			},
+			want:    nil,
+			wantErr: true,
+		},
+	}
+
 	tests = append(tests, testRequires...)
 	tests = append(tests, testEnviroments...)
+	tests = append(tests, testGlobalEnvVars...)
 
 	for _, tt := range tests {
 		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {