diff --git a/python/damask/__init__.py b/python/damask/__init__.py
index b2b94b6a5..4c031758f 100644
--- a/python/damask/__init__.py
+++ b/python/damask/__init__.py
@@ -7,7 +7,8 @@ with open(_Path(__file__).parent/_Path('VERSION')) as _f:
     version = _re.sub(r'^v','',_f.readline().strip())
 
 # make classes directly accessible as damask.Class
-from ._environment import Environment      # noqa
+from ._environment import Environment as _ # noqa
+environment = _()
 from ._table       import Table            # noqa
 from ._vtk         import VTK              # noqa
 from ._colormap    import Colormap         # noqa
@@ -19,6 +20,7 @@ from ._geom        import Geom             # noqa
 from .             import solver           # noqa
 
 # deprecated
+Environment = _
 from ._asciitable  import ASCIItable       # noqa
 from ._test        import Test             # noqa
 from .config       import Material         # noqa
diff --git a/python/damask/_geom.py b/python/damask/_geom.py
index bbdcaf9f8..59da5e117 100644
--- a/python/damask/_geom.py
+++ b/python/damask/_geom.py
@@ -6,9 +6,9 @@ from functools import partial
 import numpy as np
 from scipy import ndimage,spatial
 
+import damask
 from . import VTK
 from . import util
-from . import Environment
 from . import grid_filters
 
 
@@ -362,7 +362,7 @@ class Geom:
             seeds_p   = seeds
             coords    = grid_filters.cell_coord0(grid,size).reshape(-1,3)
 
-        pool = multiprocessing.Pool(processes = int(Environment().options['DAMASK_NUM_THREADS']))
+        pool = multiprocessing.Pool(processes = int(damask.environment.options['DAMASK_NUM_THREADS']))
         result = pool.map_async(partial(Geom._find_closest_seed,seeds_p,weights_p), [coord for coord in coords])
         pool.close()
         pool.join()
diff --git a/python/damask/_result.py b/python/damask/_result.py
index 4b32798f1..a12ee467a 100644
--- a/python/damask/_result.py
+++ b/python/damask/_result.py
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ from . import VTK
 from . import Table
 from . import Rotation
 from . import Orientation
-from . import Environment
 from . import grid_filters
 from . import mechanics
 from . import util
@@ -1060,7 +1059,7 @@ class Result:
             Arguments parsed to func.
 
         """
-        num_threads = Environment().options['DAMASK_NUM_THREADS']
+        num_threads = damask.environment.options['DAMASK_NUM_THREADS']
         pool = mp.Pool(int(num_threads) if num_threads is not None else None)
         lock = mp.Manager().Lock()
 
diff --git a/python/damask/_test.py b/python/damask/_test.py
index 9c4c7ad3d..78616fabf 100644
--- a/python/damask/_test.py
+++ b/python/damask/_test.py
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ class Test:
 
   def fileInRoot(self,dir,file):
     """Path to a file in the root directory of DAMASK."""
-    return os.path.join(damask.Environment().rootDir(),dir,file)
+    return str(damask.environment.root_dir/dir/file)
 
 
   def fileInReference(self,file):
diff --git a/python/damask/_vtk.py b/python/damask/_vtk.py
index 656d68412..51175fdd7 100644
--- a/python/damask/_vtk.py
+++ b/python/damask/_vtk.py
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ from vtk.util.numpy_support import numpy_to_vtkIdTypeArray as np_to_vtkIdTypeArr
 
 import damask
 from . import Table
-from . import Environment
 
 
 class VTK:
@@ -258,7 +257,7 @@ class VTK:
         ren.AddActor(actor)
         ren.SetBackground(0.2,0.2,0.2)
 
-        window.SetSize(Environment().screen_size[0],Environment().screen_size[1])
+        window.SetSize(damask.environment.screen_size[0],damask.environment.screen_size[1])
 
         iren = vtk.vtkRenderWindowInteractor()
         iren.SetRenderWindow(window)
diff --git a/python/damask/solver/_marc.py b/python/damask/solver/_marc.py
index 23ae5639d..d0d8cc2fb 100644
--- a/python/damask/solver/_marc.py
+++ b/python/damask/solver/_marc.py
@@ -3,12 +3,12 @@ import shlex
 import string
 from pathlib import Path
 
-from .._environment import Environment
+import damask
 
 class Marc:
     """Wrapper to run DAMASK with MSCMarc."""
 
-    def __init__(self,version=Environment().options['MARC_VERSION']):
+    def __init__(self,version=damask.environment.options['MARC_VERSION']):
         """
         Create a Marc solver object.
 
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ class Marc:
     @property
     def library_path(self):
 
-        path_MSC = Environment().options['MSC_ROOT']
+        path_MSC = damask.environment.options['MSC_ROOT']
         path_lib = Path(f'{path_MSC}/mentat{self.version}/shlib/linux64')
 
         return path_lib if path_lib.is_dir() else None
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ class Marc:
     @property
     def tools_path(self):
 
-        path_MSC   = Environment().options['MSC_ROOT']
+        path_MSC   = damsk.environment.options['MSC_ROOT']
         path_tools = Path(f'{path_MSC}/marc{self.version}/tools')
 
         return path_tools if path_tools.is_dir() else None
@@ -49,9 +49,7 @@ class Marc:
                   ):
 
 
-        env = Environment()
-
-        usersub = env.root_dir/Path(f'src/DAMASK_marc{self.version}').with_suffix('.f90' if compile else '.marc')
+        usersub = damask.environment.root_dir/Path(f'src/DAMASK_marc{self.version}').with_suffix('.f90' if compile else '.marc')
         if not usersub.is_file():
             raise FileNotFoundError("DAMASK4Marc ({}) '{}' not found".format(('source' if compile else 'binary'),usersub))