diff --git a/TODO b/TODO
index 97b30d4..77e4ba9 100644
--- a/TODO
+++ b/TODO
@@ -1,10 +1,9 @@
 // ZOD
 FEN string
-Env Vars
-API base URL
 
 - favicon and page titles - SEO related things
 - rearrange buttons / header space - collapse on smaller screens
 - Lichess login
 - logger
-- contact form
\ No newline at end of file
+- contact form
+- bring sections headers on all pages other than home page further up (reduce top margin / padding)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/env.ts b/src/env.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fcdc1af
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/env.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+import { z } from "zod";
+
+const clientSchema = z.object({
+	VITE_API_BASE_URL: z.string("Invalid API Base URL format"),
+});
+
+const serverSchema = z.object({
+	DISCORD_CONTACT_WEBHOOK: z.string("Invalid Discord Contact Webhook URL"),
+	DISCORD_ERROR_LOG_WEBHOOK: z.string("Invalid Discord Error Log Webhook URL"),
+	LICHESS_CLIENT_ID: z.string("Invalid Lichess Client ID"),
+});
+
+const fullSchema = z.object({
+	...clientSchema.shape,
+	...serverSchema.shape,
+});
+
+const isServer = typeof window === "undefined";
+const rawEnv = isServer ? process.env : import.meta.env;
+
+const getEnv = () => {
+	if (isServer) {
+		const _env = fullSchema.safeParse(rawEnv);
+		if (!_env.success) {
+			console.error("❌ Invalid Server Environment Variables:");
+			throw new Error("Invalid environment variables");
+		}
+		return _env.data;
+	} else {
+		const _env = clientSchema.safeParse(rawEnv);
+		if (!_env.success) {
+			console.error("❌ Invalid Client Environment Variables:");
+			throw new Error("Invalid environment variables");
+		}
+		return _env.data as z.infer<typeof fullSchema>;
+	}
+};
+
+export const env = getEnv();
+
+//
+// const isServer = typeof window === "undefined";
+// const rawEnv = isServer ? process.env : import.meta.env;
+//
+// let parsedEnv: z.infer<typeof fullSchema>;
+//
+// if (isServer) {
+// 	const _env = fullSchema.safeParse(rawEnv);
+// 	if (!_env.success) {
+// 		console.error("❌ Invalid Server Environment Variables:");
+// 		throw new Error("Invalid environment variables");
+// 	}
+// 	parsedEnv = _env.data;
+// } else {
+// 	const _env = clientSchema.safeParse(rawEnv);
+// 	if (!_env.success) {
+// 		console.error("❌ Invalid Client Environment Variables:");
+// 		throw new Error("Invalid environment variables");
+// 	}
+// 	parsedEnv = _env.data as z.infer<typeof fullSchema>;
+// }
+//
+// export const env = parsedEnv;
diff --git a/src/hooks/useChessGame.ts b/src/hooks/useChessGame.ts
index 6db3c2d..c6e5296 100644
--- a/src/hooks/useChessGame.ts
+++ b/src/hooks/useChessGame.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import {
 	useState,
 } from "react";
 import { toast } from "react-toastify";
+import { env } from "#/env.ts";
 import type { IHeader, IPosition } from "#/interfaces.ts";
 import { gameReducer, initialGameState } from "#/reducers/gameReducer.ts";
 import { downloadPDF } from "#/utils/pdfUtils.ts";
@@ -48,7 +49,7 @@ export const useChessGame = () => {
 			const { diagrams, diagramClock } = gameState;
 			const pgnString = buildPgnString(gameState);
 
-			const apiBaseUrl = import.meta.env.VITE_API_BASE_URL;
+			const apiBaseUrl = env.VITE_API_BASE_URL;
 
 			const response = await fetch(`${apiBaseUrl}/pdf`, {
 				method: "POST",