Since Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, countries around the world are shifting their priorities toward energy affordability, according to a group of experts who spoke in New York City on Wednesday.

The last 10 months have brought the issues of energy security, climate change and affordability “into contention,” according to Fahad Alajlan, president of Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center. He spoke at the Columbia Global Energy Summit held at Columbia University. 

“I don’t think there has been enough investment in oil and gas,” and all forms of energy, Alajlan said. “We haven’t been paying attention to this, and Covid accelerated it and made it more pronounced.”

He warned, however, not to turn the focus away from...