As greenhouse gas emissions reach new highs and climate impacts intensify globally, nations are preparing updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) for submission in early 2025 ahead of COP30 in Brazil. The Emissions Gap Report 2024: No more hot air…please! finds that to avoid the present trajectory of a temperature increase far beyond 2°C over the course of this century, nations must use COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, as a launchpad to increase ambition and ensure the new NDCs collectively promise to almost halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. They must then follow up with rapid delivery of the commitments, building on actions taken now. If they do not do so, the Paris Agreement target of 1.5°C will be gone within a few years and the 2°C target will be in danger.