[Grammar] Help me understand the later part of a sentence

[LQZ]

Though there have been impressive efforts by many business leaders, hundreds of millions of individuals and families throughout the world and many national, regional and local governments, our civilization is still failing miserably to slow the rate at which these emissions are increasing — much less reduce them.

Dear teacher,

I ran into the above while reading a news item in NYT, and it has been bugging me a lot, because I can't infer whether the writer is going to convey "our civilization are still failing to slow the increasing rate of these emissions——much less reduce them" or "these emissions are increasing ——much less reduce them". Could you clear up my confusion? Thanks in advance.


LQZ

 

[2006]

Though there have been impressive efforts by many business leaders, hundreds of millions of individuals and families throughout the world and many national, regional and local governments, our civilization is still failing miserably to slow the rate at which these emissions are increasing — much less reduce them.

Dear teacher,

I ran into the above while reading a news item in NYT, and it has been bugging me a lot, because I can't infer whether the writer is going to convey "our civilization is still failing to slow the increasing rate of these emissions——much less reduce them" or "these emissions are increasing ——much less reduce them". Could you clear up my confusion? Thanks in advance.


LQZ

The writer is saying that not only are we not reducing the emissions, we aren't even slowing the rate of increase of emissions.

 

[LQZ]

The writer is saying that not only are we not reducing the emissions, we aren't even slowing the rate of increase of emissions.

:-DThanks, 2006, I've got it.