the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities thus seems to be gradually releasing its grip in the climate regime most scientific evaluations state that if we intend to keep the temperature rise below two degrees above preindustrial levels global emissions should be at their highest in decreasing steadily thereafter with the legal treaty entering into force as late as in the most recent intergovernmental panel assessment on climate change both polar regions were deemed to be experiencing the ongoing impacts of climate change as they were in the ippc assessment the impacts on the arctic are however much more pronounced