diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/environment_cli.yml b/changelogs/fragments/environment_cli.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..659521541ed
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/environment_cli.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+minor_changes:
+  - CLI - Tools that execute tasks can now pass one or more ``-E`` options to define key-value pairs (k=v or YAML/JSON mapping) to be added to the ``environment`` task keyword for all hosts.
diff --git a/lib/ansible/cli/arguments/option_helpers.py b/lib/ansible/cli/arguments/option_helpers.py
index 1932e2efc59..52a20af3145 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/cli/arguments/option_helpers.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/cli/arguments/option_helpers.py
@@ -19,13 +19,14 @@ import yaml
 import ansible
 from ansible import constants as C
 from ansible._internal import _templating
+from ansible._internal._datatag._tags import TrustedAsTemplate, Origin
 from ansible.module_utils.common.text.converters import to_native
 from ansible.module_utils.common.yaml import HAS_LIBYAML, yaml_load
 from ansible.release import __version__
+from ansible.parsing.splitter import parse_kv
+from ansible.parsing.utils.yaml import from_yaml
 from ansible.utils.path import unfrackpath
 
-from ansible._internal._datatag._tags import TrustedAsTemplate, Origin
-
 
 #
 # Special purpose OptionParsers
@@ -233,6 +234,46 @@ def maybe_unfrack_path(beacon):
     return inner
 
 
+def parse_env_vars(value: str) -> dict[str, str]:
+    """
+    Parse command line args to set the 'environment' keyword
+    """
+
+    if value.startswith('{'):
+        data = from_yaml(value)
+
+    elif value.startswith('@'):
+        filename = unfrackpath(value[1:])
+        try:
+            with open(filename, errors='strict') as f:
+                data = from_yaml(f.read(), file_name=filename)
+        except OSError as e:
+            raise ValueError(f"Cannot access environment file {filename!r}") from e
+        except ValueError as e:
+            raise ValueError(f"Cannot decode file {filename!r}") from e
+
+    elif '=' in value:
+        data = parse_kv(value)
+
+    else:
+        raise ValueError(f"Unable to parse environment option, not YAML/JSON  nor k=v pairs nor a file: {value!r}")
+
+    if not isinstance(data, dict):
+        raise TypeError(f"Error while parsing environment values, expected a dictionary, got a {type(data)!r}")
+
+    final = {}
+    for k, v in data.items():
+        if not isinstance(k, str):
+            raise TypeError(f"Environment key is required to be a string, but {k!r} is a {type(k)!r} instead.")
+        try:
+            final[k] = TrustedAsTemplate().tag(str(v))
+        except UnicodeError as e:
+            raise ValueError(f"Environment values are required to be strings, {k!r}'s value could not be converted.") from e
+
+    # TODO: add Origin
+    return final
+
+
 def _git_repo_info(repo_path):
     """ returns a string containing git branch, commit id and commit date """
     result = None
@@ -502,6 +543,8 @@ def add_runtask_options(parser):
     """Add options for commands that run a task"""
     parser.add_argument('-e', '--extra-vars', dest="extra_vars", action="append", type=maybe_unfrack_path('@'),
                         help="set additional variables as key=value or YAML/JSON, if filename prepend with @", default=[])
+    parser.add_argument('-E', '--environment', dest='environment', action='append', default=[], type=parse_env_vars,
+                        help="Set environment variables (key=value or YAML/JSON formatted or @filename.yml) when executing a task on the target.")
 
 
 def add_tasknoplay_options(parser):
diff --git a/lib/ansible/cli/pull.py b/lib/ansible/cli/pull.py
index 05b520b5e7c..51251cb92a8 100755
--- a/lib/ansible/cli/pull.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/cli/pull.py
@@ -271,6 +271,8 @@ class PullCLI(CLI):
                                                               repo_opts, limit_opts)
         for ev in context.CLIARGS['extra_vars']:
             cmd += ' -e %s' % shlex.quote(ev)
+        for env_var in context.CLIARGS.get('environment', []):
+            cmd += ' ' + shlex.join(('-E', str(dict(env_var))))
 
         # Nap?
         if context.CLIARGS['sleep']:
@@ -318,6 +320,8 @@ class PullCLI(CLI):
 
         for ev in context.CLIARGS['extra_vars']:
             cmd += ' -e %s' % shlex.quote(ev)
+        for env_var in context.CLIARGS.get('environment', []):
+            cmd += ' -E %s' % shlex.quote(str(dict(env_var)))
 
         if context.CLIARGS['become_ask_pass']:
             cmd += ' --ask-become-pass'
diff --git a/lib/ansible/config/base.yml b/lib/ansible/config/base.yml
index f2bf62f5eb9..4d2b7c8d896 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/config/base.yml
+++ b/lib/ansible/config/base.yml
@@ -2032,6 +2032,17 @@ TARGET_LOG_INFO:
   vars:
   - name: ansible_target_log_info
   version_added: "2.17"
+TASK_ENVIRONMENT:
+  name: Task environment
+  description:
+    - Environment variables to be provided for the task upon execution on the target.
+    - This can ONLY affects module execution, it does not affect any other type of plugin nor Ansible itself nor its configuration. 
+    - This is not a recommended way to pass in confidential data.
+  type: list
+  keyword:
+    - name: environment
+  cli:
+    - name: environment
 TASK_TIMEOUT:
   name: Task Timeout
   default: 0
diff --git a/lib/ansible/playbook/play.py b/lib/ansible/playbook/play.py
index 5cb639f851b..4e6189b065d 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/playbook/play.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/playbook/play.py
@@ -20,8 +20,7 @@ from __future__ import annotations
 import functools as _functools
 import pathlib as _pathlib
 
-from ansible import constants as C
-from ansible import context
+from ansible import context, constants as C
 from ansible.errors import AnsibleError
 from ansible.errors import AnsibleParserError, AnsibleAssertionError, AnsibleValueOmittedError
 from ansible.module_utils.common.collections import is_sequence
@@ -173,6 +172,16 @@ class Play(Base, Taggable, CollectionSearch):
             ds['remote_user'] = ds['user']
             del ds['user']
 
+        # prepend possible CLI environment vars (tuple of immutable dicts), these are not a default values
+        cli = C.config.get_config_value('TASK_ENVIRONMENT')
+        if cli:
+            play_env = ds.get('environment')
+            ds['environment'] = [dict(d) for d in cli]  # from ImmutableDict
+            if play_env:
+                if not isinstance(play_env, list):
+                    play_env = [play_env]
+                ds['environment'].extend(play_env)
+
         return super(Play, self).preprocess_data(ds)
 
     def _load(self, attr: str, ds: object) -> list[Block]:
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/adhoc/runme.sh b/test/integration/targets/adhoc/runme.sh
index 0235b6ca3ff..43b7f0ae2f2 100755
--- a/test/integration/targets/adhoc/runme.sh
+++ b/test/integration/targets/adhoc/runme.sh
@@ -28,3 +28,7 @@ ansible localhost -m assert -a '{"that": "ansible_facts.distribution is defined"
 ansible --flush-cache localhost -m debug -a "msg={{ ansible_facts }}" | grep '"msg": {}'
 # test meta end_play
 ansible localhost -m include_role -a name=end_play
+# test environment variable setting with -E option (basic KEY=VALUE)
+ansible localhost -m gather_facts -a 'gather_subset="env"' -E 'TEST_ENV_VAR=ansible_test_value' | grep '"TEST_ENV_VAR": "ansible_test_value"'
+# test environment variable setting with -E option (YAML/JSON format)
+ansible localhost -m gather_facts -a 'gather_subset="env"' -E '{"TEST_JSON_VAR": "json_test_value"}' | grep '"TEST_JSON_VAR": "json_test_value"'
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/ansible-console/runme.sh b/test/integration/targets/ansible-console/runme.sh
index 13d2517c5a2..114b7f53c06 100755
--- a/test/integration/targets/ansible-console/runme.sh
+++ b/test/integration/targets/ansible-console/runme.sh
@@ -14,3 +14,8 @@ if grep -q "ERROR" err.txt; then
   echo "Failed to execute end_play"
   exit 1
 fi
+
+# test environment variable setting with -E option (basic KEY=VALUE)
+echo 'gather_facts gather_subset=env' | ansible-console localhost -E 'TEST_CONSOLE_VAR=console_test_value' | grep '"TEST_CONSOLE_VAR": "console_test_value"'
+# test environment variable setting with -E option (JSON format)
+echo 'gather_facts gather_subset=env' | ansible-console localhost -E '{"TEST_CONSOLE_JSON": "console_json_value"}' | grep '"TEST_CONSOLE_JSON": "console_json_value"'
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/ansible-pull/pull-integration-test/env_var_test.yml b/test/integration/targets/ansible-pull/pull-integration-test/env_var_test.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..78c0fd8e29c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/integration/targets/ansible-pull/pull-integration-test/env_var_test.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+---
+- hosts: localhost
+  gather_facts: false
+  module_defaults:
+    gather_facts:
+        gather_subset: ['env']
+  tasks:
+    - name: Verify all environment variables are accessible via ansible_env
+      assert:
+        that:
+          - ansible_env.TEST_PULL is defined
+          - ansible_env.TEST_PULL == "pull_test_value"
+        fail_msg: "Environment variables not accessible via -E option in ansible-pull"
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/ansible-pull/runme.sh b/test/integration/targets/ansible-pull/runme.sh
index 2f1d81b54a3..460643347d8 100755
--- a/test/integration/targets/ansible-pull/runme.sh
+++ b/test/integration/targets/ansible-pull/runme.sh
@@ -142,3 +142,11 @@ pass_tests
 if [ "${ORIG_CONFIG}" != "" ]; then
   export ANSIBLE_CONFIG="${ORIG_CONFIG}"
 fi
+
+# test environment variable setting with -E option (basic KEY=VALUE)
+ansible-pull -d "${pull_dir}" -U "${repo_dir}" env_var_test.yml \
+    -e 'ansble_python_interpreter={{ansible_playbook_python}}' -E 'TEST_PULL=pull_test_value' "$@"
+
+# test environment variable setting with -E option (JSON format)
+ansible-pull -d "${pull_dir}" -U "${repo_dir}" env_var_test.yml \
+    -e 'ansble_python_interpreter={{ansible_playbook_python}}' -E '{"TEST_PULL": "pull_test_value"}' "$@"
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/playbook/env_var_test.yml b/test/integration/targets/playbook/env_var_test.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..1405cf0d938
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/integration/targets/playbook/env_var_test.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+---
+- hosts: localhost
+  gather_facts: yes
+  tasks:
+    - name: Verify all environment variables are accessible via ansible_env
+      assert:
+        that:
+          - ansible_env.TEST_PLAYBOOK is defined
+          - ansible_env.TEST_PLAYBOOK == "playbook_test_value"
+        fail_msg: "Environment variables not accessible via -E option"
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/playbook/playbook_env_vars.yml b/test/integration/targets/playbook/playbook_env_vars.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..b0361b0622b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/integration/targets/playbook/playbook_env_vars.yml
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+TEST_PLAYBOOK: playbook_test_value
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/playbook/runme.sh b/test/integration/targets/playbook/runme.sh
index bf4f1769b54..76e43802017 100755
--- a/test/integration/targets/playbook/runme.sh
+++ b/test/integration/targets/playbook/runme.sh
@@ -90,3 +90,12 @@ ansible-playbook -i ../../inventory vars_files_null.yml -v "$@"
 
 # test vars_files: filename.yml
 ansible-playbook -i ../../inventory vars_files_string.yml -v "$@"
+
+# test environment variable setting with -E option (basic KEY=VALUE)
+ansible-playbook -i ../../inventory env_var_test.yml -E '@playbook_env_vars.yml' "$@"
+
+# test environment variable setting with -E option (basic KEY=VALUE)
+ansible-playbook -i ../../inventory env_var_test.yml -E 'TEST_PLAYBOOK=playbook_test_value' "$@"
+
+# test environment variable setting with -E option (JSON format)
+ansible-playbook -i ../../inventory env_var_test.yml -E '{"TEST_PLAYBOOK": "playbook_test_value"}' "$@"