This is a first – not only in Mauritius but also across the African continent.
The official certification ceremony took place on Thursday 22 May at Thirsty Bistro, Telfair. Gopalakrishnan Padmanabhan, Managing Director for the region at the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), presented the certificate to Johan Pilot, CEO of ENL Property. The event was held in the presence of Rajesh Bhagwan, Minister of Environment, Waste Management and Climate Change, Govinden Venkatasami, Member of Parliament for the constituency, and Heerooa Ramnarain, Chairman of the Moka District Council.
“We are very proud to receive the LEED-ND certification from the USGBC today. As the saying goes, Rome wasn’t built in a day. Moka wasn’t either, and it won’t be. It has been in the making for over 15 years, driven by a long-term vision, rigorous planning and constant follow-up. All of this has been made possible and encouraged by legal frameworks that allow us to invest over the long term,” said Gilbert Espitalier-Noël.
Honourable Rajesh Bhagwan stated: “I will say it as many times as needed – protecting our environment is a national priority. I commend the work of the ENL teams who contributed to this success. You’ve shown that sustainable development can be both ambitious and achievable. We look forward to more well-designed projects. Because each responsibly planned neighbourhood eases the pressure on our resources and improves our quality of life.”
With the support of consultants from Prodesign, Moka began the certification process with international experts, who assessed Telfair based on over 100 criteria: accessibility, quality public spaces, mixed-use developments, environmental protection, and responsible resource management. Telfair represents a new way of designing urban areas – a place where people can live, work, move and gather in a healthy, coherent, and sustainable environment. LEED-ND is more than just a label: it is recognition of a strong commitment, and a benchmark for everyone shaping the cities of tomorrow.
“Achieving this demanding certification is the work of a whole team. I would like to congratulate the Moka Smart City, the architects, the landscapers, MEP, everybody who contributed to the project. It requires that passionate leadership from one player to set the motion. I am very clear that Moka’s example will trigger all the other leaders and the country to move towards your 2050 mission,” said Gopalakrishnan Padmanabhan, Managing Director for the region at the USGBC, who travelled to Mauritius especially for the occasion.
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Mobility
This mix of uses creates places for interaction and social life. These neighbourhoods, connected by pedestrian and cycling paths, also promote soft mobility. Telfair already features a pedestrian and cycling path running through the neighbourhood and will soon welcome self-service electric bike stations.
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Resources
Sustainable urban development also involves implementing wastewater management and rainwater harvesting systems to meet non-potable water needs, especially for the maintenance of communal areas.
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Biodiversity
In line with LEED-ND standards, Moka also focuses on protecting and restoring ecosystems, preserving biodiversity, and reducing urban heat islands. The city actively supports these efforts by planting trees and integrating greenery into urban zones. More than 13,000 trees were planted in the area in 2024 alone.
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Innovation
Innovation is the final essential pillar of this approach. It supports continuous improvement in sustainability, energy efficiency, and the use of renewable energy. Through eco-construction, the goal is to optimise resource use while reducing the environmental footprint of buildings.
One of the mandatory criteria of LEED-ND certification is the presence of at least one LEED-certified building within the designated area. This condition is met by the headquarters of PwC Mauritius and The Dot, two already-certified buildings. In addition, all office buildings by Oficea – ENL Property’s commercial property brand – located in Telfair, are currently undergoing certification.